Millbrook Primary School Nursery Review

Play Along brings nursery children into Millbrook’s school life through assemblies, inspiration days and activities beyond their usual learning space. Familiarity starts early. Children meet pupils and staff elsewhere in the school, giving their preschool experience a connection to the place they may later attend.

Based on the school site in Shevington, Play Along accepts funded places for children aged three and four. Its provision combines learning through play with opportunities to practise social skills and become accustomed to routines. The nursery day has its own timetable, with morning and afternoon sessions rather than simply following the school’s hours.

Play is the starting point for learning. Play Along follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Through play and activities, children practise getting along with others, become used to routines and build confidence and independence. For parents, that means the curriculum extends beyond an isolated task: children have opportunities to practise and consolidate what they are learning through their play and interactions.

School events add another dimension. Inspiration days, assemblies and activities in other parts of Millbrook introduce children to people and spaces beyond Play Along. These experiences are intended to make the school familiar and support the eventual move to Reception; they are separate from the question of securing a school place.

Books have a clear place in the nursery experience. Ofsted’s inspection on 13 and 14 July 2022 identified enjoyment of stories and books in Nursery, but also found that the learning sequence needed clearer planning. At that time, the knowledge children needed for Reception had not been organised into sufficiently clear steps, leaving them inadequately prepared for its curriculum. Curriculum preparation. This was a nursery-specific concern, so the progression of learning deserves attention alongside the appeal of play and shared school activities.

Qualified staff support the children’s play and activities, and Play Along gives its staffing ratio as eight children per adult. Working with parents is part of its approach to children’s development. Routine and social interaction are also explicit aims, connecting everyday care with growing independence and confidence.

Food arrangements give families a choice. Each child receives a healthy snack and a cup of milk daily at no extra charge, and brings a water bottle. Lunch can be a healthy packed meal from home or a hot meal ordered through My Evolve Hub, with the office providing access to the ordering system. Hot lunches carry a charge.

For SEND enquiries, families can contact the school’s special educational needs coordinator directly at sendco@millbrook.wigan.sch.uk. This provides a specific contact for discussing a child’s needs.

Attending Play Along does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the local authority’s normal admissions process by the applicable deadline. Wigan’s local authority decides school admissions; the nursery application is a different step.

Familiarisation has practical value independently of admission. Alongside Play Along’s contact with the wider school, starting arrangements include a summer-term meeting after school places have been allocated, an information booklet and informal workshops involving parents, children and Reception staff. These help families prepare for starting school rather than confer an admissions advantage.

Sessions run on weekdays during term time: the morning runs from 09:00 to 12:00 and the afternoon from 12:00 to 15:00. Children entitled to 30 funded hours usually attend full days. Breakfast and after-school care can accompany funded sessions, giving families an additional childcare option around the nursery timetable.

Hours beyond a child’s funding entitlement are charged. Contact the school for current charges. A Play Along application form is provided, and the school office handles enquiries on 01257 404552 or enquiries@admin.millbrook.wigan.sch.uk.