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Nursery at The Marist School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Bumblebee, Ladybirds and Pre-Reception give The Marist's youngest children a nursery with distinct stages of its own. Rooms are organised around development as well as age, with teachers and room leaders discussing when each child should move. That makes progression a conversation about the child, rather than simply a birthday milestone.
For girls and boys aged two to four, this is the nursery within an independent Catholic school in Sunninghill, Ascot. It has three rooms and takes part in school assemblies and concerts when appropriate, giving children connections beyond their immediate group.
Stories become practical learning here. At the ISI inspection of 5 to 7 March 2024, Nursery children followed Fox's Socks by hanging socks on a washing line and numbering them. The early years curriculum met children's needs and supported good progress: this example links language with counting through something children can handle and arrange.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and Development Matters guide the curriculum across seven learning areas. In parent terms, learning covers talking, movement and relationships alongside early reading, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. The Curiosity Approach adds an emphasis on children's interests, questions and experiments.
Mornings move from registration to phonics and number work, followed by snack and an Inspiration period. Handwashing and prayer precede lunch. Afternoon provision includes specialist lessons, Active Learning and storytime; Bumblebee children can sleep during the afternoon when needed. It is a day with recognisable routines and room for rest.
Outdoor learning has substance. In March 2024, early years children used clay and sticks in the woodland, practising cooperation and solving problems together. Joining in with Room on the Broom supported confidence, while wool weaving and bat-and-ball activities exercised small hand movements and larger physical skills.
Parents have several ways to follow development. EvidenceMe observations are shared each half term, while Share My Learning Events let families take part in a morning of learning. Bumblebees and Ladybirds have an autumn settling meeting; Pre-Reception families have formal parents' evenings. A spring development report and an end-of-year report add written detail, helping parents understand the next steps their child is working towards.
Lunch is compulsory and charged separately, including for morning attendance. The menu includes vegetarian choices and alternatives for dietary needs. Food brought from home must avoid nuts and traces of nuts. Breakfast Club provides a light breakfast, and the first wraparound session includes a light tea.
In March 2024, early years supervision involved sufficient staff with suitable qualifications. Early years staff also had paediatric first-aid training, with parents informed about illness or injury. SEND support involves the early years teacher, SENCO and parents in assessing needs and agreeing adjustments. Additional specialist support can carry a charge, and provision depends on the school's resources, so those conditions matter when considering a child's support plan.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. The admissions policy includes current Marist pupils among its priority categories, but gives those categories no fixed order or weighting; entry remains dependent on space and the applicable requirements. Priority is conditional, rather than a promise of progression.
Ask the admissions team what steps existing nursery families must complete for Reception and when. The nursery's Pre-Reception room provides the final nursery stage before that move. For children receiving SEND support, transition planning includes sharing information with the next setting when requested and with parental agreement. These preparations support continuity of care; they do not secure admission.
Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 12.30pm, including lunch; afternoons finish at 3.30pm. Term-time and full-time places are offered. The minimum booking is four sessions for two-year-olds and six for three-year-olds. The Nursery & Prep entry page limits full-time intake to children turning three during their first academic term.
For three-year-olds, afternoon sessions can use the 15-hour funded entitlement; under the full-time model that funding applies for 38 weeks. Other afternoons, meals and wraparound attract charges. Contact admissions@themarist.com about sessions and use the individual-tour form to arrange a visit. Wraparound collection is by 6pm through the Early Years green entrance; term-time families book it weekly through the e-bulletin link.
The nursery caters for girls and boys aged two to four. Its rooms are Bumblebee, Ladybirds and Pre-Reception, with movement based on age and development.
Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 12.30pm and include lunch. Minimum attendance is four sessions for two-year-olds and six for three-year-olds, so a morning-only pattern will not meet the three-year-old minimum by itself.
Parents receive half-termly EvidenceMe observations, written development reports and opportunities to share learning. Bumblebees and Ladybirds have an autumn settling meeting, and Pre-Reception has formal parents' evenings.
For three-year-olds, afternoon sessions can be funded through the 15-hour entitlement. Full-time nursery applies this funding for 38 weeks. Lunch and wraparound are charged separately.
No. Current Marist pupils are a priority category, with no fixed ranking or weighting against the other categories. Places remain subject to availability and entry requirements.
