Nursery at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Aston-le-Walls

Independence gives the early years provision at St Mary's its clearest character. In May 2023, Ofsted found that children settled comfortably, activities helped them become more independent and adults coordinated their support for learning. Those findings concern the early years department within the school, rather than a separate nursery judgement.

The nursery belongs to St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Aston-le-Walls, a Catholic primary school on Main Street. Its school setting gives families a reason to think about the next stage early, while keeping the nursery choice and the Reception application separate.

Learning to do more for themselves was a planned part of children's early years experience in May 2023. Staff used developmental milestones to guide the achievements expected and their timing. For parents, this connects the activities that build independence with clear expectations about the next steps in their child's development.

Settling was a positive feature of the early years department in May 2023. Children became comfortable in the setting, and the calm atmosphere provides useful context for families considering that first separation from home.

Across the school, support for special educational needs and disabilities includes speech and language input, access to specialist teachers and educational psychology support. These are school-level arrangements. The school follows up concerns raised by families and by previous nurseries, giving parents a route to bring an existing concern into discussions about their child.

Support planning also involves families. Pupil Profile targets are reviewed each term with parents, the child and class teachers. Parents can meet teachers to discuss concerns as they arise, rather than waiting for a scheduled meeting. The school is fully wheelchair accessible and has a disabled toilet, concrete features relevant to families considering physical access.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process; familiarity with the school does not replace that application.

For the 2026 admissions cycle, applications went through the common application form supplied by the child's home local authority, with a deadline of 15 January. Nursery attendance did not confer priority in that cycle. Allocation instead followed criteria covering care status, Catholic faith, siblings and residence, with distance used to distinguish applicants within a criterion when necessary. Keep that admissions decision separate from the choice of nursery day.

The school address is Main Street, Aston-le-Walls, Daventry, NN11 6UF. Families can contact the school on 01295 660258 or email bursar@stmarys-pri.northants-ecl.gov.uk for a nursery enquiry. This provides a direct contact with the school when considering its nursery provision.