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Nursery at St Matthew's 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A bicycle track, a mud kitchen and Bedtime Story Bags give St Matthew's nursery its own character: active play outside, stories to share at home and plenty of choices in between. This is the school's nursery class on Norfolk Street in Cambridge, with play forming the basis of learning and independence built into everyday tasks.
Children choose resources and move between indoor activities and the garden. For parents seeking an introduction to school life, the practical emphasis is on learning to manage clothes, join a group and communicate with others, alongside early reading and number work.
Choice shapes the session. Children move freely between the classroom and garden, taking part in activities they choose themselves and others guided by adults. Sand, water and block play provide opportunities to experiment; the home corner supports pretend play. Outdoors, gardening and the mud kitchen make getting messy part of the plan. Outdoor learning happens daily, whatever the weather, so waterproof clothing matters.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together communication, relationships and physical development with literacy, maths, understanding the world and creative work. Staff plan jointly using Development Matters. In parent terms, learning includes handling tools, taking turns, talking about ideas and exploring quantities through play. Pouring between jugs in the water tray is one concrete way children investigate capacity.
Monster Phonics features in a daily session focused on listening, speech sounds, oral blending and segmenting. Key Worker circle time brings children together for stories, songs and language or maths games. Tidying precedes a shared ending with stories, singing or finger rhymes, giving each session a recognisable finish. Bedtime Story Bags go home for weekends, extending book sharing beyond nursery.
At the April 2025 Ofsted inspection, early-years findings highlighted effective language development through songs and rhymes, alongside planned opportunities for beginning to write. These findings concern early-years learning within the school, rather than a separate nursery grade.
Each child has an assigned Key Worker, giving families a specific person to approach about worries or changes at home. Short conversations can happen around sessions; longer discussions need an appointment. Messages can also go through the office, and families are encouraged to contribute photographs and comments to learning journeys.
Settling starts with an optional home or classroom meeting with the Key Worker and teacher. Parents complete an All About Me book, helping staff understand their child before routines take hold. The first session lasts one hour. If a child needs longer to settle, further short visits and gradual increases are arranged with their Key Worker.
Snack time includes free milk and fruit. Children staying for lunch bring a packed lunch, with no hot meal option. Toilet training support is available through the Key Worker. For additional needs, families can approach the class teacher or SENDCo; the Early Intervention Family Worker and Speech and Language Drop in clinic provide further routes to support.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal local-authority process and meet its deadline. St Matthew's handles nursery admissions itself, while the local authority manages Reception admissions: choosing this nursery is therefore a decision about the nursery experience, not a secured school place.
Transition support is a separate matter. The school's SEND policy provides for information to pass between teachers when children change class, with a planning meeting before the move. Extra classroom visits can be arranged where these would help a child with SEND understand what comes next.
Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoons run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. A full day spans 8:45am to 3:15pm, with lunch between 11:30am and 12:15pm.
Eligible children can use 15 or 30 funded hours free of charge, without buying additional services. Snacks and consumable resources carry no extra charge, but families supply nappies, wipes, sun cream and lunch where needed. Staying until 3:15pm incurs charges if it exceeds the child's funded allocation; families declining that additional time collect at 2:45pm.
Additional sessions. These depend on capacity after funded applications are processed and involve a commitment for the full term, with payment in advance each half-term. Ask the school for current charges before accepting extra hours.
For enquiries, contact office@stmatthews.cambs.sch.uk or 01223 568838. Send labelled clothes that are easy to fasten, spares and waterproofs. Children must be brought and collected by an adult, and staff must be told about any change of collector.
No. Nursery and Reception admissions are separate. Families must apply for Reception through the local authority's normal process by its deadline.
An optional home or classroom visit comes before starting. The first session is one hour, with further short sessions and gradual increases if needed.
Children use the garden and bicycle track, with gardening and mud kitchen play among the activities. Outdoor learning takes place daily in all weathers.
Children staying for lunch bring a packed lunch. There is no hot meal option for nursery children, while fruit and milk are free at snack time.
Yes. Eligible children can access 15 or 30 funded hours without purchasing additional services. Time beyond their funded allocation is charged, subject to the school's arrangements and capacity.
