Austin Friars Pre-School Review

Woodland exploration and specialist language lessons give Austin Friars’ Pre-School its character. Children aged three to four belong to the Junior School in Carlisle, with part-time and full-time attendance options. This is the school’s own nursery provision, known as Pre-School.

The on-site Forest School and access to the Learning Resources Centre put outdoor discovery, books and computers within the nursery experience. Specialist teaching includes drama, music, French, Chinese and Spanish, giving children contact with different subjects while their learning still centres on play.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit either side of lunch, with snacks punctuating the day. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together language, relationships and physical development with early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. For parents, that means learning to listen and manage feelings alongside counting, exploring materials and connecting letters with sounds.

Painting, collage and drawing provide ways to investigate texture and colour. Imaginative play gives children opportunities to try out ideas together. Staff encourage predictions and discussion, helping children explain their thinking rather than simply finish an activity. In October 2025, ISI found that early-years planning supported mathematical understanding and that phonics helped children progress in reading and writing; learning organised around festivals and seasons connected activities with their experiences.

Outdoor learning has concrete places to happen. Forest School includes a mud kitchen, a den-building area and an amphibian pond. Exploring woodland, growing vegetables and noticing seasonal changes connect learning with the natural world. Indoors, Pre-School children use the Junior School’s purpose-built facilities, including library and computer resources in the Learning Resources Centre. The day has room for both investigation and expression.

A full-time teacher works with qualified teaching assistants, and the Key Worker system gives each child a particular staff relationship to build. Before entry, taster sessions are arranged to resemble the sessions reserved for that child where possible. That offers an introduction to the attendance pattern they will actually follow.

Communication continues through the Friday Week Ahead email and All About Me books, which parents are asked to read weekly. The EYFS team includes a SEND coordinator who works with staff and families, providing a point of contact for individual support needs.

Thomas Franks prepares food on site. Lunch has two courses and a vegetarian choice; morning and afternoon snacks include fruit, water and milk. Eating also provides practice in sharing turns and handling cutlery. In October 2025, early-years staffing ratios were suitable, and staff undertook paediatric first-aid training regularly.

Safeguarding and complaints. In October 2025, shortcomings affected staff safeguarding training, records of low-level concerns and the handling and recording of complaints, including EYFS requirements. The ISI monitoring inspection on 20 March 2026 found that all standards considered were met, covering safeguarding, complaints and leadership. These are school-level findings applying to the early-years requirements considered, rather than a separate nursery grade.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Confirm entry arrangements for Kindergarten, the school’s name for Reception, directly with admissions.

Preparation for the classroom change is a different matter. During the term before moving up, an integrated programme introduces children to their next teacher. Weekly assemblies also bring Pre-School together with older infant classes. Those shared experiences build familiarity; they should not be read as an admissions promise.

Term-time care. Pre-School operates during school terms. Morning attendance runs from 9:00am to 12:25pm, lunch from 12:25pm to 1:00pm, and the afternoon from 1:00pm to 3:45pm. An Early Session runs from 8:20am to 9:00am, followed later by After-School care from 3:45pm to 5:30pm. Early Bird runs daily from 8:00am to 8:20am by arrangement with EYFS staff. Drop-off and collection must be timed no more than five minutes before sessions start and finish.

Funding and charges. Universal funded provision covers up to 15 hours weekly from the term after a child’s third birthday; eligible families can access 30 hours. Each daily FEE claim must cover at least two and a half hours. Using the full 15-hour universal entitlement requires claims across at least two days per week. Pre-School charges are hourly, with lunch charged separately. Contact the school for current charges.

Use admissions@austinfriars.co.uk for enquiries or request a Pre-School tour online. Tour bookings require confirmation from staff. An EYFS uniform checklist covers Pre-School, with BE Uniforms as the official supplier.