St Andrew's CofE Primary School Nursery

Sounds, rhyme and children's interests give the nursery at St Andrew's CofE Primary School its clearest character. This is the school's own nursery provision in Soham, within a Church of England primary school whose age range starts at three. The distinction matters for families choosing an introduction to school life: the nursery is part of the school, while admission to Reception remains a separate decision.

The school belongs to the trust formerly known as DEMAT, which became Grace Schools from September 2026. Its stated educational aims combine Christian identity with developing children's confidence and their ability to participate in their communities.

Early reading begins with listening. At the March 2023 inspection, nursery children were learning to distinguish sounds, identify syllables and recognise rhyme. These are specific foundations for understanding spoken language, giving parents a clearer picture of the learning than a general promise of preparation for school.

In March 2023, early years staff also connected new vocabulary and knowledge to what interested the children. That combination matters: children's interests supplied a starting point, while adults introduced language and ideas to extend their understanding. Learning therefore involved both following children's curiosity and deliberately developing what they knew.

The trust describes its curriculum as carefully ordered, with knowledge selected for children to retain. It aims to develop social confidence alongside knowledge and skills, and to support children's spiritual, physical and cultural development. For a parent, the useful distinction is between activities alone and what those activities help a child understand. The trust's stated approach puts that learning purpose first.

Inclusion sits within a trust approach that calls for adjustments in response to assessed needs. The trust says it works with families and professionals to establish a shared understanding of support. This makes parental involvement part of its intended approach to identifying what a child needs.

For children requiring additional or different help, the trust specifies an ASSESS-PLAN-DO-REVIEW cycle. In plain language, needs are assessed, support is planned and put into practice, then reviewed. This gives families a structure for discussing whether an adjustment is helping and what should happen next. The school's special educational needs coordinator is a point of contact for those conversations.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal Reception admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing a nursery place and applying for Reception as two distinct steps, so that familiarity with the school does not become an assumption about admission.

The school is on Sand Street, Soham, Ely, CB7 5AA. Its telephone number is 01353720345, providing a direct school contact for nursery enquiries.