St Mary's CofE Primary School, Amersham: Nursery Review

Forest School, fantasy dressing-up and a mud kitchen give St Mary's early years provision a practical, imaginative character. Outdoor exploration sits alongside stories and creative work. This is nursery provision within the Church of England primary school on School Lane in Amersham.

At the June 2025 inspection, the nursery catered for four-year-old children. Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good following its visit on 17 and 18 June 2025; that judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The early years activities make learning tangible. A Fantasy Topic combined costumes with a fairy letter at Forest School, connecting imaginative play with the outdoor setting. Fairy tales and traditional stories have featured alongside Maths Week. Children have also brought favourite books from home and used props linked to them, giving familiar stories a place in their learning.

Outside, the early years playground and mud kitchen are concrete features for families to consider. Forest School appears repeatedly in early years activities. Exploration extends beyond the school grounds: early years children have visited Amersham Museum and Odds Farm Park. These are examples of outings, rather than a promise about the frequency of trips.

Topics also introduce the wider world through practical experiences. Children have explored coral reefs and made igloos while learning about extreme weather. A beekeeper's visit brought an occupation into their learning, while a visit from the Fire Brigade introduced another. African drums have featured in music lessons. Together, these examples show children encountering ideas through making, listening, stories and encounters with people beyond their classroom.

Relationships are an early years strength. In June 2025, the foundations for caring relationships between children and staff were established in early years, with adults using praise and demonstrating respectful behaviour. This gives families a concrete indication of how social expectations are introduced.

Health learning has included making smoothies, discussing sleep and exploring emotions through colour monsters. These activities connect physical wellbeing with feelings in language and experiences young children can engage with.

SEND support. The June 2025 school-wide findings identified uneven help for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, limiting their learning. Families should take that concern into account when discussing the adaptations their child needs; it was not identified specifically as a nursery finding.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by its normal deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions, even though both concern the same school.

The admissions page provides a Nursery Application Form and Nursery Terms and Conditions. These are the practical starting points for an application.

For calendar planning, the school's autumn 2026 half-term falls between 26 and 30 October. Use the school term calendar when planning family commitments around holidays and closures.