All Saints Stibbard Nursery Review

Mud kitchens, woodland exploration and room to choose between indoor and outdoor play give Stibbard All Saints Nursery its character. This is the nursery provision at All Saints Stibbard Church of England Primary Academy and Nursery, caring for children from age 2 until school age. It belongs to Flourish Federation, which brings together two primary schools and a nursery.

The nursery describes its approach as led by children's interests, with play taking the central role. For families, the defining feature is the freedom to explore: an enclosed outdoor area usable in all weather connects with indoor play, rather than outdoor time being confined to a separate activity.

Children can move between the indoor environment and the secure outdoor play area. Inside, the arrangement adapts to changing interests and needs. Outside, daily opportunities include digging, climbing, running and swinging. The nursery also provides days spent in natural surroundings through Welly Days, giving children direct experience of seasonal changes.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) links emotional development, movement and communication with early reading, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. Here, those areas translate into practical play. Counting conkers gives numbers something tangible to attach to; using sticks to make marks in soil introduces early writing. Songs and storytelling happen daily, outdoors as well as indoors.

Forest School activities have included making shelters for bugs from grass and sticks, tree climbing and mud-kitchen play. A visit also included looking for frogs at the pond with an adult. Safety rules were discussed before exploration, so the activity combined freedom with explicit boundaries.

Children also negotiate with friends, share games and investigate minibeasts together. These are opportunities to practise conversation and cooperation through something they want to do. Natural materials become tools for art, construction and testing ideas, including working out how to move a heavy log.

The nursery aims to work with parents and each child's key person. Its stated approach values children as individuals regardless of disability, religion, gender or age. Home learning includes age-specific activities, with Trust and Friendship among the Summer Term 2 2026 themes, providing a link between nursery learning and family conversations.

Emotional awareness has a practical expression. Children have discussed feeling sad or worried, tried calming breathing and taken part in guided meditation. During a woodland session, they chose quiet places to sit and listen to surrounding sounds. These examples give children ways to recognise feelings and pause.

School meals are cooked on site by Norse Catering. The school's lunch arrangements require ordering a week ahead and advance payment; packed lunches should contain fruit or vegetables and exclude nuts. These are school-wide arrangements, rather than a description of a nursery meal routine.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. The school follows Norfolk County Council procedures for admissions and appeals. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

Care runs from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday during term time, for funded and non-funded children. This gives families a long operating window, but keeps the provision tied to school terms.

From September 2025, eligible working parents in England can access 30 hours of free childcare weekly for children aged 9 months to 3 years. That entitlement's age range is separate from this nursery's starting age of 2.

For nursery bookings, contact nursery@stibbardallsaints.com or 01328 829426. Visits can be arranged through the nursery, allowing families to see the play spaces before choosing a place.