“I am so pleased my daughter attends Balshaw Lane.”

“A huge thank you to all the staff for supporting my daughter so well to transition into school.  Staff are welcoming and make themselves available to talk as much as possible.”

“All the teachers I have interacted with have supported my child and helped him develop so much in his first year at school.”

Reception Parents' Questionnaire comments, Autumn 2023.

Please also see our Admissions page for further information and our Virtual School Tour.

We are very keen to ensure that every child makes a great start to school. 

We like to work with parents to create a smooth transition, whether the child has previously been at nursery, at home with parents or with a childminder. 

The Early Years staff are very experienced at tailoring the provision for each individual child so that they soon feel safe, secure and happy.

Induction

In the summer term before the new children start, we hold induction activities.

These usually include an informal play session in the hall, induction afternoons in the classrooms and a Welcome Meeting for parents.

We also visit local nurseries to speak to staff about the children's transition and for the children to meet our teachers.

At the start of the Reception year, we have a staggered start for the children.

This approach enables us to establish routines with the children and enable them to settle into the environment in smaller groups.

We find that the half days help the children to quickly gain confidence and make a flying start.

In the autumn term, we hold a Curriculum Meeting for parents when we explain about our provision for the Early Years areas of learning. 

We also hold Parents' Evenings in the autumn and spring terms where the children's progress is discussed.

A mid-year report and an annual report are issued to parents in March and July respectively.

There are always informal ways for parents to communicate with our staff as part of our ongoing partnership.