St Paul's Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

A nursery day from 9am to 3pm, with Orchid kids club extending care beyond those hours, gives St Paul's a practical starting point for families balancing childcare and work. This is the nursery within St Paul's Catholic Primary School on Park Lane in Cheshunt, rather than a separate nursery setting.

Catholic identity shapes the school around it. St Paul's places Christ at the centre of school life and aims for everyone to feel respected, valued and welcome. For parents, that makes the school's faith part of the choice alongside the hours of care.

The core nursery timetable runs Monday to Friday, from 9am until 3pm, for the 30-hour entitlement. A 15-hour pattern can be arranged flexibly across the week, subject to availability. That distinction matters: families seeking fewer hours have flexibility, but their preferred arrangement depends on space.

Orchid kids club provides wraparound care between 7:15am and 5:45pm. Those longer hours extend the childcare window around the nursery timetable; they should be considered separately when planning the length of a child's day. An early-start club also runs from 8:40am to 9am, giving families another option before the nursery session begins.

Support for additional needs sits within the wider school's provision. A qualified SENDCo combines inclusion responsibilities with mental health and wellbeing work. Families can contact this role through senco@stpauls373.herts.sch.uk on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, providing a direct route for discussing a child's needs.

The school's physical support spaces include a sensory garden and a room for multisensory nurture. Its provision described in January 2025 also includes a sensory room, The Nest for pupils with SEND, and The Quad for outdoor sensory play. These are school facilities, so families should distinguish the wider support provision from their child's individual nursery arrangements.

Parent support extends beyond the school team. Parent Partnership provides confidential, personalised help with understanding how special educational needs are assessed and managed. That can help families take part in decisions about their child's education.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery and Reception admissions are separate processes: families must apply again for Reception through the normal application route and meet the relevant deadline. Treat choosing this nursery and securing a later school place as two separate decisions.

St Paul's accepts both 15 and 30 funded hours, alongside spaces with parent top-ups. Additional nursery sessions carry a charge when a child is not entitled to 30 hours; the early-start club is also charged. Contact the school for current charges before committing to a pattern.

Tours can be booked through the office on 01992 635060 or by emailing admin@stpauls373.herts.sch.uk. For the 2027–28 nursery admissions cycle, families also need to complete a nursery application form, obtainable online or through the office. A tour offers a practical next step before making that application.