South Wellfield First School Nursery

Den building, a mud kitchen and fortnightly Forest School give South Wellfield’s nursery a distinctly outdoor character. Inside, books shape the topics and children have their own reading area. Play and early learning sit together.

This is the school’s own nursery in Whitley Bay, with application routes for two-year-olds and children aged three and four. The school announced the introduction of two-year-old provision from September 2026. Nursery forms part of its early years provision, which Ofsted graded Good at the inspection on 8 and 9 October 2024. That judgement covers early years across the school.

Books provide the starting point for topics that change each half term. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning to communicate, move and manage friendships with early literacy, maths, creativity and discovering how the world works. In practice, children discuss feelings, play turn-taking games and learn through interactions with adults and other children. Independence matters alongside learning letters and numbers.

Daily story sessions and freely accessible books give reading a place beyond adult-led activities. Children can bring favourite books from home, while the nursery’s reading area changes its selection to match topics and sustain interest. Early years children also have daily opportunities to experiment with art materials.

Outdoor activity extends that exploration. Children can move freely into the outdoor learning space, use climbing and balancing equipment, experiment with water and make messy creations in the mud kitchen. Simple dens and searches for minibeasts are part of nursery outdoor learning. A dedicated physical development space and Forest School visits every fortnight add opportunities to move, explore and make choices.

In October 2024, nursery children enjoyed imitating farm animals and talking about their sounds; they began sound learning from the outset. Early years teaching supported communication, number skills and the beginnings of reading. Curriculum precision. Some wider learning was less clearly planned, so children sometimes missed important knowledge. Families should weigh that improvement point alongside the practical learning opportunities.

Relationships are part of the learning. In October 2024, early years children treated one another considerately, with adults demonstrating positive ways to interact. Turn-taking games and conversations about emotions give children opportunities to practise those social skills.

For families discussing additional needs, the school’s SEND arrangements include involvement in plans and targets, plus a conversation with the class teacher each term about a child’s SEND plan. These discussions sit alongside parent consultations and the end-of-year report. SEND coffee mornings take place each half term and welcome parents beyond those whose children have support plans, providing another route for questions and shared advice.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through North Tyneside’s normal admissions process and meet its normal deadline. Treat this as a separate decision and application, rather than an automatic next step after nursery.

For children needing help with a change of setting, the school offers a transition booklet through its SEND support for families. This is support with change, rather than an admissions advantage.

Morning sessions run from 8.40am to 11.40am; whole days run from 8.40am to 3.10pm. The nursery offers attendance arrangements between 15 and 32.5 hours, allowing families to consider a shorter week or longer days.

Funded-only places are offered for either 15 or 30 hours. Additional hours can be purchased, with chargeable extras set out separately for two-year-olds and for children aged three and four. Refer to the school for current charges.

Nursery applications go directly to the school. An online expression-of-interest form lets families request the relevant age-group application by email or choose a paper version from the office. Enquiries can go to swfsadmin@southwellfieldfs.org.uk or 0191 236 1555. A booking form offers nursery meetings and tours, giving parents a practical way to explore the setting before applying.