St Mary's Farnham Royal CofE Primary School Nursery Review

Listening walks, traditional tales and a mud kitchen give this nursery its character. St Mary's Farnham Royal has nursery provision on the school site in Church Road, so the early years belong within the wider primary setting. The strongest detail is about children learning to communicate: noticing sounds, describing them to friends and joining in with rhymes.

Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Good at its inspection on 24 and 25 September 2024. That judgement covers the early years provision within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Language has a practical purpose here. In September 2024, nursery children took learning walks and talked together about what they could hear. Listening becomes something to practise through exploration, with children finding words for their experiences and hearing other children's ideas. Songs, rhymes and familiar stories also encouraged enthusiasm for learning. These give children reasons to speak, listen and join in.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the curriculum framework. In parent language, it brings together communication, physical development and managing feelings and relationships, alongside early literacy, maths, creativity and discovering how the world works. The school's EYFS curriculum page links families to guidance explaining this stage. These areas concern development as well as learning facts.

A sensory garden and mud kitchen were used effectively in the early years in September 2024. The learning spaces helped children become more confident and persevere. These are concrete resources for exploration, alongside the stories and conversation that feature in nursery learning.

Home activities extend the speaking and listening theme. The EYFS page includes barrier games, with Little Red Riding Hood and space versions. Players describe where pictures should go while their partner cannot see their scene, then compare the results. That gives families a specific way to practise clear instructions and attentive listening together.

Settling takes time within the start of the nursery experience. The EYFS class page describes an initial period spent becoming familiar with the surroundings and daily routines. In September 2024, children were settling into those routines promptly. Learning to share, wait for a turn and listen to others formed part of their early years development.

For the September 2026 intake, a Stay and Play event brought nursery and Reception parents and children together on 3 September, before their term began on 7 September. This gave families a shared introduction before the children's official start. The EYFS class page also carries photographs and information about classroom experiences, helping parents follow what children are doing.

Food comes with school-wide rules. Packed lunches must exclude nuts, and children bringing one need both a drink with lunch and a water bottle. Families can also contact the school's Pastoral Support Team at psl@smfr.co.uk. Its leader works with parents and carers as well as children, offering a route to discuss worries affecting family life.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Becoming familiar with school routines is preparation for the next stage of education; it does not secure admission.

The school office is the enquiry route: office@smfr.co.uk or 01753 644471. Its term-time opening hours are 8:30am to 4:15pm, Monday to Friday. Those are office hours, rather than nursery session times. The address is Church Road, Farnham Royal, SL2 3AW.