St Mary's School Preschool, Cambridge

Choosing activities, making models and learning to manage personal care give St Mary's youngest children an early taste of independence. Preschool welcomes girls from age three and belongs to the Junior School's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision. This is the nursery within an independent Catholic girls' school, with families of all faiths and secular backgrounds welcome.

The ISI inspection of 30 September to 2 October 2025 described early-years teaching that helped children develop language and creative independence. Those findings cover the school's early years together; they are not a separate nursery grade.

Language runs through the learning. Adults demonstrate vocabulary during tasks and build on children's answers, helping them express themselves with greater precision. Early-years lessons balance number work, communication and creative making, with a pace suited to young children. The EYFS here combines these early learning skills with social, physical and emotional development.

Creative work gives children decisions to make. They use different materials for design activities, while modelling develops control of their hands. Choosing what to do also builds independence: children take responsibility for parts of their learning rather than relying on an adult to direct every step.

Shared projects bring a social purpose to that activity. Children work together on problems, practise expressing questions and stories, and show kindness in play. Visitors and trips beyond the school site connect learning with other people and places. These experiences give children something concrete to discuss as their vocabulary grows.

For children learning English alongside another language, teaching draws on their home languages, rhymes and songs. Pictures support counting. This gives them several ways to take part while developing their English, rather than making spoken English the only way into an activity.

Personal care is part of growing independence, with children learning to manage dressing and care for themselves. In September and October 2025, all early-years staff held paediatric first-aid training, providing a practical foundation for responding to young children's medical needs.

Lunch carries a separate Preschool charge. Families should include it when considering the overall cost of attendance and use the school's current charges when planning their budget.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Ask the admissions team to confirm the Reception entry process and any applicable deadline before choosing Preschool. Choosing Preschool should therefore be a decision about the nursery experience itself, rather than an assumption that the next place is secured.

The minimum booking is two full days or four half days each week. Universal funded entitlement of up to 15 hours weekly is offered for eligible children aged three and four, subject to timely paperwork. It applies to afternoon sessions, Monday to Friday, from 12:30 to 15:30, with the pattern fixed for the term. Extra afternoons added after term begins are charged separately.

Funding applies only in Preschool and stops on joining Reception, even for a child still aged four. Late Stay runs from 16:00 to 17:00, followed by Twilight Club from 17:00 to 18:00; both carry additional charges. Contact the Junior School admissions team at admissions@stmaryscambridge.co.uk or 01223 224177 for enquiries. Open Events can be booked through admissions.