Withernsea Primary School Nursery Review

Play dough, instrument baskets and books made by the children give Withernsea’s nursery a practical, playful character. This is the school’s F1 provision for three-year-olds, within its Foundation Stage on Hull Road. Nursery children have their own classroom learning areas, with outdoor play treated as a continuation of what happens inside.

At the Ofsted inspection on 19 and 20 September 2023, early years provision was graded Good. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Conversation starts the day. Children talk together about their feelings, their plans and experiences outside school, giving adults a way to understand their interests and build learning around them. Planning changes in response to children’s progress and staff observations. Adults join play, demonstrate possibilities and ask questions to help children take the next step.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning to communicate, manage feelings and move confidently with early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. Daily teaching in groups covers phonics, English and maths; free-flow activity gives children time to practise what they have learned. Read Write Inc is the phonics programme. In F1, initial sounds are introduced when appropriate through sessions lasting five minutes, keeping this part of the day brief.

There is plenty to choose from. The writing space includes envelopes and different papers, while reading areas hold poetry, factual books and stories. Children can select maths equipment for practical problems, build in the construction area or invent stories through small-world play. Sand, water and play dough support investigation; instruments invite musical exploration. These learning opportunities extend outdoors too. Nursery children can also take home a library book, changed weekly, making shared reading part of the connection between home and nursery.

In September 2023, the early years curriculum followed a clear learning sequence. Children could sustain their attention during activities, whether working alone or with others, and cooperate with one another. Singing familiar rhymes on their own showed that they retained what they had learned. Those are useful foundations for participating in classroom life.

Parents can contribute to Tapestry learning journeys, while Class Dojo provides a way to communicate with the teacher and see their child’s portfolio. Home-school diaries go home each Friday with an account of the week’s learning; families can add pictures and comments for children to share. Parent evenings and additional conversations offer opportunities to discuss progress.

For concerns about development or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the first step is a discussion with the class teacher. Families and staff decide together whether to monitor progress or introduce additional help, with the special educational needs coordinator involved where appropriate. School support includes language enrichment, speech and language therapy programmes and activities for movement skills. These are options matched to individual needs, rather than a fixed package for every child.

Food arrangements include a school kitchen preparing hot meals. The school excludes nuts from packed lunches, and families should tell staff about allergies or dietary requirements. That makes sharing food information an essential part of preparation.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process, coordinated by East Riding Council, and meet the normal application deadline. Choosing the nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions.

Transition support is a different matter. For children who would benefit from extra help when changing classes or settings, the school can arrange short visits, introduce staff in familiar surroundings and create a photograph book of people and places. Communication Passports can pass important information to the next team. These measures support adjustment; they do not secure admission.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01964 612800 or email admin.withernsea@hcat.org.uk. The school is on Hull Road, Withernsea, HU19 2EG. This gives families a direct contact for starting an enquiry.