St Joseph's Nursery, Canvey Island

A covered outdoor play space and a large nursery room give St Joseph's youngest children a base within the school's dedicated early years area. Children can start from age two, with either part-time or full-time attendance. The nursery shares this part of the school with the Reception class, while retaining its own outdoor area and care facilities.

Catholic identity shapes the setting's aims. St Joseph's wants children to feel loved by God and valued as individuals, with kindness and service informing school life. Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Good following its February 2024 inspection. That judgement covers the school's early years provision; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Two three-hour sessions organise the day: mornings run from 9:10am to 12:10pm, and afternoons from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Afternoon attendance includes a lunch period, with a choice between food brought from home and a charged school meal. Lunch therefore forms part of the afternoon routine rather than being an activity outside the session.

The physical layout is a useful feature. Alongside the main room, children have an outdoor space covered by a canopy, allowing play outside throughout the year. Dedicated toilets, changing facilities and a kitchenette sit within the nursery provision. These give learning and everyday care their own practical spaces.

Baking and planting are examples of planned curriculum activities. They bring hands-on experiences into the nursery day. Qualified teachers work with a planned early years curriculum, and the EYFS team works across the nursery and Reception rooms.

Meals are cooked on the premises by Nourish's catering team, which uses locally sourced ingredients where possible. Nursery children taking an afternoon session can bring a packed lunch instead. For families choosing a school dinner, payment is made in advance through the school money system; contact the school for current charges.

Changing facilities are dedicated to the nursery, a practical detail for children joining from age two. The shared early years team provides the staffing connection between the two rooms. Nursery enquiries have their own email address, so families can contact the provision directly rather than starting with a general school enquiry.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. For the September 2027 intake, the route is Essex County Council's primary admissions service.

Places are allocated against the school's admission criteria rather than by the order applications arrive. Treat the nursery choice and the later Reception application as separate decisions. Sharing an early years area and staff does not itself secure admission.

Sessions operate on weekdays during term time. Public holidays and the school's inset or non-pupil days are excluded. Children beginning nursery in September may start later than the Reception intake, which matters when arranging childcare for the start of term.

Working parents of two-year-olds and children aged three to four can use the 15-hour or 30-hour funded provision. There is no administration charge for accessing funded hours. Additional sessions, snacks, curriculum activities and meals have separate charges; obtain current charges from the school.

An early drop-off session runs from 8:40am to 9:10am. The nursery uniform combines a bottle-green logo T-shirt and sweatshirt with black jogging bottoms, dark socks and black trainers. This outfit applies in summer too.

To enquire, email Nursery@stjosephscanvey.net or complete the nursery interest form. Visits can be arranged through office@stjosephscanvey.net or 01268 683903, and prospective nursery families can see the provision during their visit.