“The first five years have so much to do with how the next 80 turn out”
Since opening in 2007, Thames Nursery has been providing outstanding care and educational provision for children in our community. Part of Thames Primary Academy, we welcome children and families to join ours…..
“Let your potential soar”
Our nursery is managed and led by Hayley Rowcroft. She ensures that all children are accessing an exciting curriculum which is supported by highly skilled, dedicated practitioners ensuring that your child has the very best start to their education.
All nursery practitioners are a minimum level 3 qualified and with over 80 years of childcare experience between them, bringing a wealth of skills and expertise to share with our families.
“90% of a child’s brain development happens before they are 5”
We know that through child led planning, strong key person relationships and a stimulating environment, children thrive within our care. Rated Ofsted outstanding in 2013, we go that extra mile to make your child’s nursery experience unforgettable.
Being part of school secures a smooth transition into school life. Using the schools facilities as part of our daily routine, as well as children from school coming into nursery weekly to read to them means the children already feel part of the school community, ensuring the move from nursery to school is a natural next step.
When you
Enter this
Loving school
Consider yourself one
Of the special
Members of an
Extraordinary family.
Nursery and Preschool Curriculum
Click to find out more about the Nursery and Preschool curriculum
Our Nursery Day
“Childhood is about playing, discovery and believing in dreams. The imagination and possibilities are endless.”
Nursery is open 8am-5pm, Monday – Friday, term time only. You can find the term dates under the ‘Term Dates’ tab in the Parents/Carers area on this website.
Children from aged 2 are welcomed into our setting following a period of stay and plays (settling in sessions), enabling you to ease your little one into nursery life. Your child will have a key person who is responsible for supporting their development, planning for their learning and building positive relationships with your child and you too.
Continuous provision means the children can access all areas of learning at all times, allowing them to build on their play in various ways. Our nursery is beautifully equipped, motivating your child to want to dive right in!
Outdoor learning
“Not every classroom has four walls…..”
Our outdoor environment provides further opportunity for the children to extend their learning to include natural resources and let their imaginations run free. Children can’t wait to splash in the riverbed or create their own potions & pies in our outdoor texture kitchen!
Climbing up to our tree house is a real physical challenge for the children, providing them with a safe space to take risks and build confidence, they quickly become adept at navigating the tree trunks and whizzing down the slide.
Living in Blackpool also means we have an array of facilities at our fingertips. Trips to the local parks, dance classes, the shops and even the Sealife Centre to enhance our children’s learning experience beyond the setting.
Healthy meals & snacks
Thames Primary Academy attaches great importance to the provision of meals in our school and nursery, and ensures that our meals are always healthy and balanced. Our in-house catering team work hard to produce a wide variety of meals for our children and all of our food is cooked fresh each day.
In nursery we encourage the children to drink milk or water at snack/mealtimes. Often children who won’t drink water at home, do drink it in nursery as they want to be just like their friends. We are proud advocates of our healthy eating and smile for life policies, helping children to understand from an early age the importance of keeping themselves healthy.
Children are offered snacks in the morning and in the afternoon, for example something like toast and milk/water, or rice cakes and fresh fruit in the afternoon with milk/water, at no additional cost.
If your child is in Nursery from 8.45am-3.15pm we will provide them with a nutritious meal for lunch and a dessert, and this is included in their daily rate.
Children who are in Nursery from 8.45am-11.45am are collected before lunchtime. And those in Nursery from 12.15pm-3.15pm need to have their lunch before they arrive.
We also offer wraparound care from 8-8.45am and 3.15-5pm. Any children arriving at 8am will be offered a breakfast snack and those staying later than 4pm are offered a light tea to keep them going until they get home. All of this is at no additional cost to the hourly fee.
Here is a sample of our 3 week menu:
| Main | Vegetarian | Dessert | |
| Monday | Meatballs served with Vegetable Riceor Jacket Potato with various fillings | Roasted Vegetables in a Fresh Tomato Sauce served with Vegetable Rice | Ice Cream, Yoghurt or Fruit Salad |
| Tuesday | Homemade Chicken Pie served with a rich gravy with a Shortcrust PastryorFish Fingers Mashed Potato and seasonal Veg | Vegetable Pie served with a rich gravy with a Shortcrust PastryMashed Potato and seasonal Veg | Jelly and FruitYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Wednesday | Homemade Pepperoni PizzaSpicy WedgesSweetcornorJacket Potato with various fillings | Cheese and Tomato PizzaSpicy WedgesSweetcorn | Homemade Creamy Rice PuddingYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Thursday | Sausage with Sautéed OnionsHerby Diced Potatoes Homemade ColeslaworCheese and Tomato Pasta Bake | Quorn SausageWith Sautéed OnionsHerby Diced PotatoesHomemade Coleslaw | Banana or Strawberry WhipYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Friday | Chicken Goujons or Sandwich SelectionChipsBaked BeansFresh Pasta Salads | Sandwich SelectionCheese Vegetarian Roll ChipsBaked BeansFresh Pasta Salads | Biscuit SelectionYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Main | Vegetarian | Dessert | |
| Monday | Chicken Curry served with Vegetable Riceor Filled PaniniMixed Salad | Quorn Curry served with Vegetable Rice | Frozen Toffee YoghurtYoghurtor Fruit Salad |
| Tuesday | Homemade Minced Steak Pie served with a rich gravy with a Shortcrust PastryMashed Potato and seasonal Veg orJacket Potato with various fillings | Vegetable Pie served with a rich gravy with a Shortcrust PastryMashed Potato and seasonal Veg | Pears and Chocolate SauceYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Wednesday | Roast PorkRoast PotatoesSpring Cabbage and CarrotsorCheese and Tomato Pasta Bake | Quorn FilletRoast PotatoesSpring Cabbage and Carrots | ShortbreadYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Thursday | Beef Burger in a BunNoisette PotatoesGarden PeasorJacket Potato with various fillings | Vegetarian Burger in a BunNoisette PotatoesGarden Peas | Iced Sponge CakeYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Friday | Breaded Fish FilletChipsBaked Beans | Cheese WhirlsChipsBaked Beans | Biscuit SelectionYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Main | Vegetarian | Dessert | |
| Monday | Sausage with Mashed PotatoPeas & GravyorFilled PaniniMixed Salad | Quorn Sausage with Mashed PotatoPeas & Gravy | Peaches & CustardYoghurtor Fruit Salad |
| Tuesday | Homemade Pepperoni PizzaorSouthern Fried Chicken Strips in a wrap with Garlic MayoSalad Spicy Wedges Sweetcorn or Coleslaw | Homemade Cheese and Tomato PizzaorVegetarian Strips in a wrap with Garlic MayoSalad Spicy Wedges Sweetcorn or Coleslaw | Ice Cream TubsYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Wednesday | Roast ChickenRoast and Boiled PotatoesCarrots and BroccoliorCheese and Tomato Pasta Bake | Quorn FilletRoast and Boiled PotatoesCarrots and Broccoli | ShortbreadYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Thursday | Pasta BologneseGarlic breadorJacket Potato with various fillings | Vegetarian BologneseGarlic Bread | Iced Sponge CakeYoghurtorFruit Salad |
| Friday | Salmon Fish FingersChipsBaked Beans | Egg and Cheese FlanChipsBaked Beans | Biscuit SelectionYoghurtorFruit Salad |
Our Nursery Uniform
Wearing the Thames uniform not only gives your child a real sense of belonging but, practically, it also saves their own clothes from daily wear and tear!
Boys
Winter uniform:
- Grey trousers
- White polo shirt
- Thames v-neck sweatshirt
- Plain white/grey/black socks
- Strong black shoes
Summer uniform:
- Grey trousers/grey shorts
- White polo shirt
- Plain white/grey/black socks
- Strong black shoes
Girls
Winter uniform:
- Grey skirt/pinafore
- White polo shirt
- Thames cardigan/v-neck sweatshirt
- Plain white/grey/black socks/tights
- Strong black shoes
Summer uniform:
- Grey skirt/pinafore/purple gingham dress
- White polo shirt
- Plain white/grey/black socks
- Strong black shoes
Government Funding
Understanding Nursery Funding Options (Ages 2 to 4)
Navigating early years funding can feel complex, but understanding what your child is entitled to helps you make the best choice for their learning journey. Government funding is designed to cover up to 38 weeks per year during term time, and the available options depend on your child’s age and your family circumstances.
15 and 30-Hour Funding for 2-Year-Olds
Funded places are available for 2-year-olds starting the term after their 2nd birthday:
Working Families: Eligible working parents can access funded hours (up to 30 hours per week) by obtaining a working parent eligibility code through Childcare Choices.
Targeted/Disadvantaged Support:Families receiving qualifying benefits (such as Universal Credit under specific income thresholds) or children receiving Disability Living Allowance can access 15 funded hours per week through Blackpool Council’s early entitlement scheme.
15 Hours Universal Entitlement (All 3 and 4-Year-Olds)
Every child in England is entitled to 15 hours of funded early education per week starting from the term after their 3rd birthday (September, January, or April).This entitlement is completely universal—there are no income or working requirements, and every family qualifies automatically. You do not need an eligibility code from the government; simply speak directly with our nursery team to arrange your child’s hours.
30 Hours Extended Entitlement for Working Parents (3 and 4-Year-Olds)
Working families with 3 and 4-year-olds may be eligible to double their funding to 30 hours per week.To qualify, both parents (or a single parent in a single-parent household) must be working and earning at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Minimum Wage, while earning less than £100,000 per year.Parents must apply online via the government’s Childcare Choices service to obtain an eligibility code, which is then provided to the school and reconfirmed every three months.
Summary of funding options
| Scheme / Age Group | Weekly Hours | Eligibility Criteria | How to Apply |
| 2-Year-Olds (Targeted Support) | 15 Hours (term time, 38 weeks/yr) | Families receiving qualifying benefits (e.g., Universal Credit under income thresholds), or children with DLA / in care. | Apply through Blackpool Council’s early entitlement portal or contact our nursery office administrator Mrs Bunting. |
| 2-Year-Olds (Working Families) | Up to 30 Hours (term time, 38 weeks/yr) | Parents working more than 16 hrs/wk at or above National Minimum Wage and earning less than £100k/yr each. | Apply online at GOV.UK Childcare Choices to get an eligibility code for the nursery. This you will need to provide to Mrs Bunting in our office. |
| 3 & 4-Year-Olds (Universal Entitlement) | 15 Hours (term time, 38 weeks/yr) | All children in England automatically qualify starting the term after their 3rd birthday. | No government application needed; contact Thames Primary Academy Nursery directly. Mrs Bunting is our Nursery finance and administration officer. |
| 3 & 4-Year-Olds (Extended Working Entitlement) | 30 Hours (term time, 38 weeks/yr) | Parents working more than 16 hrs/wk at or above National Minimum Wage and earning less than £100k/yr each. | Apply online via GOV.UK Childcare Choices and reconfirm your code every 3 months. If you need support setting up your account please speak with Mrs Bunting. |
Our Fees
Please see below our fees for 2026/2027.
| Morning sessions Monday to Friday: 8.45am – 11.45am | £90.00 |
| Afternoon sessions Monday to Friday: 12.15pm – 3.15pm | £90.00 |
| Full standard week: 8.45am – 3.15pm | £180.00 |
| Full extended week: 8.00am – 5.00pm | £260.00 |
| Hourly Rate | £6.00 |
| Nursery Lunch | Included only with full day, standard or extended, sessions |
| Wraparound Session – morning | 8-8.45am £5 |
| Wraparound Session – afternoon | 3.15-4pm £5 3.15-5pm £11 |