Victoria Infant and Nursery School Nursery Review

Rainbow Nursery, Piglet and Tigger give Victoria’s nursery its own identity within the infant school at Islay Place, Workington. Provision starts with two-year-olds in Rainbow Nursery; the three-year-old groups include Piglet and Tigger, alongside Eeyore and Winnie The Pooh groups labelled for 30 hours. Morning and afternoon groups give families distinct attendance patterns to consider.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good following its visit on 7 and 8 May 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Books and growing independence are useful threads through the day. In May 2025, adults shared stories regularly, introducing unfamiliar words as children developed an interest in books. Children also tackled new challenges confidently. Together, these findings point to language development alongside the confidence to try something unfamiliar.

Read Write Inc. Phonics begins in nursery when children are ready. Initial letter sounds are introduced through brief sessions, starting with one sound a day; adults use clear sounds to help children join them into words. This is an introduction paced to readiness, rather than a reason to expect every nursery child to follow the same reading timetable.

Building Learning Power supplies another named approach, with learning opportunities extending from age two across Victoria School. Its learning behaviours include persevering, listening and collaborating: trying another method, understanding someone else’s viewpoint and contributing to a shared task. These give parents concrete ways to understand the emphasis on learning habits alongside knowledge.

Established routines also matter. In May 2025, early years children responded positively to adult instructions and followed familiar classroom patterns, helping them understand what to do next.

The staffing structure distinguishes the two-year-old team from the wider nursery team. It includes a leader for the younger children, a nursery class teacher, teaching assistants and an Early Years Leader whose responsibilities also include SEND coordination and outdoor teaching. That gives families identifiable roles for discussing learning and additional needs.

Early identification of special educational needs and/or disabilities was a strength in May 2025. Staff expertise in young children’s development, including two-year-olds, helped them recognise needs and provide support early. Families can discuss concerns with the Infant and Nursery SENCO. A safeguarding team also covers the nursery and infant provision, with concerns directed to its members.

For communication beyond individual conversations, parents can subscribe to the Infant and Nursery newsletters. This provides a route for keeping up with school news and events.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Victoria follows Cumberland Council’s admissions procedure; use the council admissions route for that application. Treat choosing a nursery group and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

For a nursery application form for a two- or three-year-old, contact the school office on 01900 601489. The nursery uses a different timetable from the main school, so the infant school’s opening and finishing times should not be used as nursery session times.

Islay Day Care provides additional care during school terms and holidays. Its weekday breakfast club runs from 7:50am to 8:45am and includes two-year-olds; day care sessions run from 9am to noon or noon to 3pm. After-school care runs from 3pm to 6pm, with different collection options. Charges vary for two-year-olds. Email admin@victoria-inf-workington.cumbria.sch.uk to book, giving the dates and your child’s name and class, and refer to the school for current charges.