Grove Street Primary School Nursery

Play for the youngest children, first sounds for older nursery children: Grove Street’s early years provision spans Little Learners and Foundation 1 Nursery. Little Learners offers funded places, subject to eligibility, from the term following a child’s second birthday; Foundation 1 caters for children aged three to four. Both sit within Grove Street Primary School in New Ferry, Wirral.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 4 and 5 October 2022. That is an early years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

Little Learners centres learning on play. For Foundation 1, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together seven areas of learning, with personal, social and emotional development given a foundational role. In parent terms, learning includes managing feelings and relating to other children alongside developing knowledge and skills.

Reading has concrete starting points. In October 2022, nursery children were learning their first sounds, while songs, poems and nursery rhymes formed part of early years learning. Magic Storybox gave younger children another route into stories, helping develop vocabulary and an interest in books. These are useful building blocks for children beginning to express ideas and recognise sounds.

The same inspection described early years routines that built independence and confidence, alongside teaching children to manage their emotions. Children practised sharing and taking turns. This gives the nursery day a social purpose as well as a learning one: joining in, concentrating and handling feelings are skills children develop alongside early reading.

Teaching expertise is part of the staffing model. An early years teacher leads Little Learners, supported by teaching assistants specialising in this age group. Foundation 1 has a graduate with an early years specialism, backed by support staff. Both descriptions place early years expertise within the team working with children.

For Little Learners families, staff offer conversations at either end of a session about concerns or achievements. A private conversation can be arranged by appointment. That gives parents a choice between a brief exchange and time set aside for a fuller discussion.

In October 2022, safeguarding staff were trained to recognise possible harm affecting younger children and report concerns to leaders. The school’s contact structure also includes an EYFS role within its Inclusion Team, giving early years support a defined place in that team.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal local authority process and meet its deadline. Grove Street’s admissions page identifies the local authority as the decision-maker for Foundation 2 admissions. Its online primary application wording relates to September 2025 entry; confirm the current route and deadline with Wirral. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as separate decisions.

Both Little Learners and Foundation 1 run morning sessions from 8:35am to 11:35am and afternoon sessions from 12:05pm to 3:05pm. These are distinct session windows, so the timetable matters when planning collection and other commitments.

Little Learners offers between 15 and 30 hours a week. Eligibility applies to its funded places; Foundation 1 also directs families to information about eligibility for 30-hour funding. Nursery enquiries go through the school office, in person or by calling 0151 645 2170.

Grove Street follows Wirral’s school holiday calendar. The school uniform includes black joggers and hoodies, with plain items obtainable from supermarkets or high street shops. Its social supermarket provides donated uniform, coats and shoes free of charge, offering families another way to obtain school clothing.