St Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/S Nursery Review

Listening for sounds within words featured in nursery learning at St Joseph's at the inspection on 7 and 8 December 2022. Nursery children practised hearing those sounds, while adults across the early years demonstrated vocabulary and sentence construction through activities connected to children's interests.

This is the nursery provision within St Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/S on Great Hadham Road in Bishop's Stortford. Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good following its inspection on 7 and 8 December 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school.

At the inspection on 7 and 8 December 2022, nursery children were taught to notice sounds within spoken words. For parents, this shows a focus on listening to spoken language.

Across the early years, adults introduced words and demonstrated how to build sentences effectively in December 2022. Activities brought together the planned learning and subjects that interested the children. This makes the adult's role significant: children's interests shape the activity, while staff supply language that extends it.

Early years children also drew on their understanding of words and phonics to compose messages for one another independently. Writing therefore had a communicative purpose, giving children a reason to use their developing skills.

St Joseph's aims to include children by meeting their individual needs, both in learning and in social development. Its school support includes individual interventions as well as provision involving the wider school. Local and regional specialists contribute expertise, and partnerships with other schools help inform its approach.

For a parent with concerns, the class teacher and special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) are contact points. The SENCO can be reached at senco@stjosephs207.herts.sch.uk. That gives families a direct route to discuss how their child is being supported.

Parents can also refer themselves to the school nursing team for advice about health, emotional difficulties, parenting concerns and managing long-term conditions. Delivering Specialist Provision Locally (DSPL3) provides free parent training covering subjects including autism, ADHD, behaviour, mental health and dyspraxia. Hertfordshire's Local offer explains which SEND services families can access. These are additional routes for families seeking advice alongside conversations with school staff.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for school as two separate decisions; a nursery place should never be taken as confirmation of a later school place.

The school is on Great Hadham Road, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 2NL. General enquiries can be made on 01279 652576 or by email to admin@stjosephs207.herts.sch.uk. The school office opens Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 4:30pm, providing a contact window for families.