“Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to their full potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and it provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.” EYFS Framework

Early childhood is the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. At Bidston Avenue we greatly value the important role that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) plays in laying secure foundations for the future learning and development.

Nursery @ Bidston Avenue Primary School

We are delighted to have opened our own nursery class from 1st September 2021.  This class replaces the BiddyAve Buddies Pre-School, which has been on our site since 2002.

Our nursery is available in term time only and follows the main school year.

What are our session options?

We have places for families who wish their child to attend for:

-AM sessions (8:45am-11:45am)

or

-PM sessions (12:15pm to 3:15pm) sessions (15 hours total per week)

or

-Full day sessions (8:45am to 3:15pm - a 30 hours total per week)

30 Hour Places

Those taking 30 hour places must be entitled to the extended entitlement and gain a Government code each term (this must be shared with us prior to the start to receive the funding). 

**Please note: Families taking a 30 hour place and not entitled to funding will need to pay for 15 hours per week on top of the universal 15 hours.**

Staffing

Our nursery is led by a specialist nursery teacher (Mrs Jackson) and ably supported by an L6 Early Years Practitioner (Mrs Rhodes), plus there are two other early years teaching assistants. 

Your child will have a named link worker who can support you and your family.

Applications

Ideally, we look to fill places before the start of the school academic year, but places become available from time to time for family reasons.

If you wish to be considered for a place then please complete an application form ASAP (above) and we will contact you if a place becomes available or to inform you of a definite place for the next academic year.

For more information:

Contact the school office on 0151 652 1594.

Admissions Policy for Wirral Community & Maintained Nurseries

Applications must be made directly to the school.

If there are not enough places for all children who have applied, the school will give priority to children who will become aged 4 during the academic year.

Our admissions policy for nursery class is as follows:

• If there are enough places available, your child will be offered a place in the class of your choice.

• If there are not enough places available in a school for all the children who have applied, the school’s governing body will decide which children to accept in line with the following guidelines:

Four-year-olds

• The school’s governing body will give priority to children who will become four during the coming academic year 2024/25.

• If there are more of those children than there are places available, they will then give priority to children with a particular medical reason for going to their school. This is important if the school has special facilities, for example if the school has special equipment for a child with a physical or sensory disability.

• If there are still too many children eligible for the school, the governing body will reject the applications from parents who live in the catchment area of another school with a nursery class.

• If there are then enough places for the remaining children, they will offer all the children places.

• But if not, they will offer places first to the children who live nearest to the school (the distance from home to school is measured by the shortest available walking route).

• Finally, if there are any places left, the governing body will offer them to children living in the catchment area of another school who live nearest to the school. Some schools may have a different policy. Please contact the school you are interested in.

Three-year-olds

If there are places left after all the four-year-olds have been offered a place, the governing body will offer a place to children who become three during the academic year 2024/25 based on the following priorities.

• Children with special educational needs which have been identified through a statutory assessment.

• Children whose parents receive Income Support, Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Working Tax Credit.

• Children whose birthday falls between 1 September and 31 December.

• Children whose birthday falls between 1 January and 31 March.

• Children whose birthday falls between 1 April and 31 August.

If the priorities have to be decided within any category, the governing body will always give priority to the children who live nearest measured by the shortest available walking route.

**Please Note that attendance at a particular nursery or pre-school does not guarantee that a place will be allocated at a particular school for the reception year - all parents MUST reapply to Wirral Council Admissions for a Reception (F2) place.