Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Play and early language shape the start at Sacred Heart: children explore independently alongside sessions guided by adults, with Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics bringing stories, rhymes and listening into their learning. This is the school's Foundation 1 nursery in Moreton, welcoming children after their third birthday. Families can choose a morning, afternoon or all-day place.

The nursery belongs to a Catholic primary school whose values are care, courtesy and commitment. A Foundation teaching team covers Nursery F1 and Reception F2, placing the nursery within the school's early years provision.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) gives the day its breadth. Alongside literacy and maths, children develop language, physical skills and an understanding of people and the world. Creative expression and emotional and social development also count. That means learning extends beyond early reading and number work to how children communicate, play and relate to others.

Adults lead regular sessions, while continuous provision gives children opportunities to pursue learning independently. Staff observe their activities throughout the day, using what children do and explain to build a picture of their development. Development Matters provides the framework for tracking progress. Creative work, number activities and children's interactions all contribute, so assessment draws on everyday learning.

Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics has a specific nursery role. Children share poems and stories, practise action rhymes and develop attentive listening, including oral blending. Adults model language in daily exchanges. These experiences build the listening and communication skills needed for later reading. The school's classrooms also have reading areas stocked with fiction, poetry and non-fiction, giving books a physical place in the learning environment.

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that early years children settled promptly into routines and benefited from adults helping them during play and learning. Friendship formed part of their learning too. These findings give parents a concrete picture of the support surrounding children's first school experiences.

Communication includes a learning journal shared regularly with families, who can contribute achievements from home. Teachers establish each child's starting point at the beginning of Foundation 1 and discuss this at the first parents' evening. The nursery class email offers another contact route.

For additional needs, the school's special educational needs coordinator can be reached through the office. Its Pastoral Team also supports families with everyday concerns and access to outside agencies where appropriate. The safeguarding team includes an early years deputy designated safeguarding lead.

Nursery children receive a daily portion of fruit. Families can choose a school dinner or packed lunch; Edsential supplies hot meals using a rolling three-week menu. Milk is free for children under five who register through Cool Milk, continuing until the Friday before their fifth birthday.

Attending Sacred Heart's nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Wirral's local authority manages Foundation 2 admissions, with an online application route linked from the school's admissions page. Treat choosing a nursery session and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

Morning sessions run from 8:40am to 11:40am; afternoons run from 12:20pm to 3:20pm. The all-day option runs from 8:40am to 3:20pm. Nursery drop-off and collection use the Daneswell Drive gate, a useful distinction when planning the school run.

The Nursery Interest Form is the route for enquiries and booking a bespoke visit. Families ready to apply can use the Nursery Application Form. The nursery directs parents to eligibility information for funded 15-hour or 30-hour places.

From September to Easter, Foundation 1 uniform includes a burgundy sweatshirt or cardigan and white polo shirt, both with logos, worn with grey trousers or a skirt and black shoes. Clothing should be labelled. Wirral FUSS/FUPS provides free pre-loved uniform, offering families a practical way to obtain school clothing.

Assessment concern. The January 2023 inspection identified unfinished assessment arrangements in a minority of school subjects, affecting how precisely some teachers understood pupils' knowledge. This was a school-level concern, rather than a finding specifically assigned to nursery learning.