Unstone St Mary's Nursery: Review for Parents

Read Write Inc begins in Nursery here, giving early reading a named place in the youngest children’s learning. Unstone St Mary's takes nursery children aged 3–4 within its Nursery & Infant School on Crow Lane, Unstone. The school occupies a Victorian building, so this is nursery provision within an established school site.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection of 14 and 15 May 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery inspection outcome.

Ladybirds gives the early years curriculum its identity, with long-term plans listed for 2026–2027. EYFS means Early Years Foundation Stage, the stage of learning covered by the nursery’s parent guide. Read Write Inc provides the named phonics approach from Nursery, and a parent guide explains how families can support that learning at home. This gives parents a specific programme to follow rather than a general instruction to practise reading.

Books also bring humour into early years learning. In May 2024, children enjoyed hearing The Twits and enthusiastically retold its spaghetti-and-worms episode. Their response shows the place of listening and talking about stories alongside phonics. Ladybirds also lists PE on Thursdays and Tuesdays, giving physical activity a place in the class timetable.

Early reading. In May 2024, phonics teaching across the school sometimes lacked accuracy, including inconsistent use of pure sounds. Monitoring and staff training needed attention. Because Read Write Inc starts in Nursery, this is a relevant consideration for families choosing the provision, although the concern was expressed about the school’s teaching overall.

An EYFS teacher and teaching and learning assistants form part of the infant school staff structure. For family communication, letters about notices, clubs and trips go onto Class Dojo, giving parents one place to follow those messages.

SEND coordination operates across both federation schools. The SENCO works with families, staff and outside agencies, providing a route for discussing a child’s additional needs. Support plans. In May 2024, school-wide SEND targets and support strategies needed greater detail, making progress and the success of particular approaches harder to establish. Families should distinguish the availability of support from the precision of an individual plan.

Lunch has a separate charge in the nursery’s 2025/2026 fee schedule. Treat it as a distinct part of planning attendance rather than assuming it is included with a session.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Applications are separate: nursery enquiries go directly to the school, while Reception applications go through Derbyshire County Council’s Apply for a School Place route.

The admissions guidance gives the usual on-time deadline as 15 January and directs families to Derbyshire’s annually updated dates. Keep the Reception application on your calendar even while your child attends Nursery.

The 2025/2026 fee schedule uses a half-day charging unit and says billing happens six times a year. Contact the school for current charges. The nursery page also directs parents of 3–4-year-olds to an eligibility link for 30 hours of free childcare; this is an eligibility check, not a promise that every family qualifies.

For nursery enquiries or a prospective-family tour, telephone 01246 412096 or email info@unstone-st-marys.derbyshire.sch.uk. School uniform guidance accepts unbranded clothing and makes pre-loved items accessible through the office, giving families alternatives to buying branded pieces.