St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy Nursery, Derby

Independence and absorbed learning characterised St Mary's early years at the January 2023 inspection. In January 2023, children in the school's early years understood familiar routines and were learning to manage more for themselves. Those are meaningful foundations for a young child's first experience of education: taking part, understanding what happens next and becoming less dependent on adult direction.

The nursery provides for three-year-olds within St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby. It belongs to the school’s early years provision, which received an Outstanding judgement at the Ofsted inspection on 17 and 18 January 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school.

An ambitious curriculum and specialist teaching were the defining strengths of early years in January 2023. Staff brought substantial knowledge to their teaching, and children sustained their involvement in learning. For parents, the useful combination is challenge alongside engagement: children were interested in what they were doing, with adults who understood the learning they were leading.

Familiar routines also mattered. Children understood the pattern of their day and developed independence within it. This gives the curriculum a practical dimension alongside its educational ambition. Learning to participate with increasing independence is part of the experience, rather than simply something to achieve later.

These findings concern the school's early years as a whole. They offer a dated picture of children's engagement and growing independence, and should be read at that scope when considering the nursery.

Knowledgeable early years specialists provided the teaching in January 2023. Their expertise matters for this age group because educational ambition needs to be matched to young children’s development. The combination of engaged children and understood routines gives parents concrete points to consider alongside the curriculum.

Growing independence was another clear feature. Children were learning to do more for themselves while participating in familiar routines. For a family choosing a first school setting, that places everyday development alongside learning, rather than reducing the nursery experience to preparation for the next class.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions.

The school's academy trust sets admissions policy and acts as admission authority. Local authorities coordinate admissions on its behalf, while decisions on applications sit with each school's Local Governing Body. For families, the practical distinction is between the organisation setting admissions policy, the authority coordinating applications and the body deciding them. Familiarity with the school through nursery attendance does not replace the Reception application.

The school’s address is Broadway, Derby, DE22 1AU. For nursery enquiries, contact the school on 01332554831.