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Nursery at St Michael's Nursery and Infant School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Caterpillars becoming butterflies give a concrete picture of learning here: in June 2026, Nursery children paired The Very Hungry Caterpillar with observing metamorphosis. Stories become things to investigate. The provision includes Tiny Teds for children aged two, alongside the school's Pre-Nursery/Nursery provision on Station Road in Workington.
The nursery belongs to a Victorian school with substantial grounds. Its early years curriculum uses learning spaces outdoors as well as indoors, giving children different settings in which to explore their interests.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning to communicate, move and manage feelings with early reading, mathematics, creativity and discovering how the world works. Staff use observations to plan children's next steps, while their interests help shape the learning. There is choosing time too: children can select activities themselves, practising making decisions rather than only following instructions.
Sand, construction and a mud kitchen feature in the early years provision plans, alongside water play, role play and making marks. Indoor and outdoor music areas contain props and sound-makers for children to experiment with. Small-group music sessions sit alongside songs used for everyday routines, such as washing hands and tidying. Music has practical jobs as well as creative ones.
Physical activity has a regular place. Early years children have an hour of directed PE each week and outdoor learning daily. Practical design activities include building with wooden bricks and experimenting with ways to join materials; cooking experiences involve mixing and pouring. These give children reasons to test an idea, change it and explain their choices.
Read Write Inc introduces phonics towards the end of Nursery, connecting sounds with written letters. The butterfly project offers another route into language: a familiar story becomes a starting point for talking about changes children can observe.
Early years computing includes activities away from computers, involving investigation, problem-solving and giving or following instructions. Children can practise explaining an idea and listening to someone else's. History begins with their own memories: recalling a family celebration, routine or custom gives them something familiar to discuss before exploring differences between generations.
Music also brings families into learning through shared music-making sessions, while visiting musicians play for and with the children. These experiences extend the sounds children can explore. Practical investigation reaches everyday objects too: the early years design curriculum describes dismantling a pepper grinder to discover its parts and materials, turning a household object into a question about how things work.
The school's SEND approach includes adapting learning, working with families and external agencies, and tailoring interventions to individual needs. A SENDCO and SEND Champion provide routes for discussing support.
Early years staff encourage children to express their feelings and help them with worries or concerns. Parents can contact the Pastoral Champion through Class Dojo or in person. The school has its own cook.
Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Cumberland Council and meet the normal deadline for their child's entry year. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.
Tiny Teds offers mornings from 08:30 to 11:30, afternoons from 12:15 to 15:15, or full days from 08:30 to 15:15. Its timetable distinguishes the lunch period from the weekly hours. Pre-Nursery/Nursery starts at 08:55, with collection at 11:55 for the 15-hour pattern or 15:05 for the 30-hour pattern. The door opens at 08:45 and closes at 08:55, so that short entry window matters for the morning routine.
Eligibility enquiries for places for children aged two, three and four go through the school office. Contact it on 01900 608111, email admin@smhwkt.cumbria.sch.uk or use the online enquiry form. The school also welcomes visits.
The school-wide uniform policy accepts clothing with or without its logo and requires a daily book bag. A uniform bank supplies new and used items free of charge, offering families another way to obtain school clothing.
Yes. Tiny Teds is the school's provision for two-year-olds; enquiries go through the school office.
Pre-Nursery/Nursery begins at 08:55. Children on the 15-hour pattern finish at 11:55, while those on the 30-hour pattern finish at 15:05.
No. You must apply separately for Reception through Cumberland Council and meet the normal deadline for your child's entry year.
Yes. Early years children access outdoor learning daily, and the curriculum uses both indoor and outdoor learning spaces.
The school has a SENDCO and SEND Champion. Its SEND approach includes working with parents and relevant external agencies and tailoring interventions to children's needs.
