Rebecca Cheetham is a Flagship School

June 30, 2026

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Rebecca Cheetham Nursery and Children’s Centre continues to be exceptionally inclusive. All needs of its young children are met to a high standard. Staff are committed to using their knowledge and dedication to further inclusion. The school continually pursues new avenues of improvement. The staff are ably led by a very committed and approachable senior leadership team that works tirelessly for the children and have an open-door policy for all staff. Staff members speak highly of the leaders and are keen to support them with new initiatives.

Rebecca Cheetham Nursery is proficient at identifying special educational needs and does so at the earliest opportunity. The school ensures that when children leave, they either have an EHCP in place or are on the path to this. This helps children gain access to suitable primary schools where they will have the best opportunity to flourish and is also very helpful for parents.

Parents speak very highly of the family atmosphere, the Parent Partnership group, the wellbeing parent forum, and how staff know each of the children very well and can support them, knowing their routines, likes, and dislikes. Children are met at their level, for example all children take part in the school Nativity Play in a way which is engaging for them.

The nursery works hard to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health issues, helping signpost support. Parents and staff are encouraged to take care of and prioritise their mental wellbeing. In addition to this, many of the staff at the school are now qualified Mental Health First Aiders.

The curriculum is very rich, diverse and extensive. For example, pupils undertake woodworking, learning to take risks in a controlled and safe environment. They use saws, hammers and drills, which boosts their creativity, improves dexterity and helps with their mark-making skills. The school is an accredited Forest School, with currently two qualified practitioners who work with all the pupils in the nursery in the Forest School setting for one day a week, and has repurposed a room so that it is a dedicated space for gymnastics and dance activities.

Engaging with parents and carers

This year Rebecca Cheetham Nursery achieved the bronze Sustainable Citizenship Award with the active support of parents. Parents completed worksheets linked to a range of targets showing how pupils followed sustainability practices at home. A successful coat swap has taken place, allowing parents to swap coats to reduce waste and promote a sense of community. Children and parents worked together to support a local food bank, and a parent partnership helped other parents at Christmas and on World Book Day by inviting them into school to help each other craft costumes instead of buying.

The next step in the Rebecca Cheetham Nursery and Children’s Centre Flagship project is to achieve the silver Early Childhood Education Sustainable Citizenship Award. This is a challenging target to set as a Nursery and Children’s Centre, but the setting believes that it is achievable, showing their ambition and dedication.

Involving parents will happen through a variety of different routes including the newsletter, texts and on the nursery website; and through a parent forum session where they will be introduced to the requirements of the scheme. A large proportion of parents will be required to be actively involved in the project as sustainability activities take place off site, within the local community. A key part of the project is also to empower and upskill parents.

Rebecca Cheetham Nursery and Children’s Centre is a committed, enthusiastic and ambitious setting which is continually pursuing methods to further develop inclusion, and should be proud of continuing to hold the IQM Flagship School award.