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Nursery at Aston and Cote Church of England Primary 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Mud pies, outdoor painting and stories beneath trees give Evans Class its character. This is the nursery within Aston and Cote Church of England Primary School, with 32 places and entry from age 2.5. Children under three attend mornings only. It is an outdoors-focused start to school life, with creative play extending beyond the classroom into a forest garden.
A book provides the weekly starting point, within a broader theme for each term. Children’s questions and interests also influence activities, so planning can change direction. The nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), supporting development through play, language, creativity and physical exploration. The nursery aims to balance adult-guided activities with play initiated by children themselves.
Reggio Emilia inspires the approach, with emphasis on sensory discovery, art and expressing ideas. That takes concrete forms: making mud pies, painting outside and hearing stories under trees. Daily outdoor learning gives children opportunities to move, investigate nature and invent their own games. The nursery has its own outdoor learning space within the school grounds.
Themes turn into practical exploration. People Who Help Us uses miniature play scenes, stories and role play to introduce occupations such as postal workers and vets. Light and dark activities include experimenting with shadows, dark dens and light boxes, encouraging children to describe what changes. Let’s Grow! brings seed planting, watering and observing plants into learning. These are activities children can discuss and revisit at home.
In May 2023, the early years environment supported learning outdoors and indoors; nursery children used buttercups and leaves gathered in the forest area to decorate Coronation crowns. Curriculum planning from Nursery onwards identified essential knowledge in most subjects, although the sequence and timing of teaching still needed clarification in a few. Across the school, checks on what pupils remembered also needed further development in a minority of subjects.
Evans Class has a teacher and teaching assistants. Class Dojo carries nursery class messages and communication across the school, giving families a channel for updates.
For SEND concerns, the school’s first contact is the class teacher. Support can involve the SEND coordinator, teaching assistants, educational psychology or NHS speech and language services, depending on individual needs. This provides routes beyond classroom support when specialist advice is needed.
An on-site kitchen prepares school meals. Nursery children can have a purchased lunch, or families can send a packed lunch; ParentMail handles meal payments. Packed lunches should exclude sweets, chocolate and sugary or fizzy drinks. Children eat with friends in the hall, with conversation and table manners part of the routine.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process, meeting the applicable deadline. Oxfordshire County Council handles the school’s admissions. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions, even though Evans Class is part of the same school.
Eligible families using the 30-hour nursery entitlement can register for provision from 9am to 3pm. There are also 15-hour places. For children aged three and over, the patterns are five mornings, Monday and Tuesday all day plus Wednesday morning, or Wednesday afternoon plus Thursday and Friday all day. The choice affects how nursery fits around work and other care.
Early Starts runs each morning from 8.30am to 9am. Additional sessions can be purchased when space permits; contact the school for current charges. Nursery intakes take place in September, January and April.
Applications use a nursery form, with paper copies obtainable from the office. Send nursery enquiries to office.3120@aston-and-cote.oxon.sch.uk. Visits can be booked by calling 01993 850435. The school’s uniform colour is red, and items in school colours can be unbranded.
Children can start from age 2.5, attending morning sessions until they turn three.
Eligible families can register for 30-hour provision from 9am to 3pm. For children aged three and over, 15-hour options are five mornings or either of the two split-week patterns described above.
Activities include mud pies in the forest garden, outdoor painting, stories beneath trees and planting seeds. Outdoor learning is part of the daily curriculum.
Yes. Nursery pupils can purchase a school meal, with payments through ParentMail, or bring a packed lunch.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process. Oxfordshire County Council handles admissions to the school.
