St Margaret's Infant School Nursery

Paint, play and children's own interests give Caterpillars, the nursery attached to St Margaret's Infant School, its character. It belongs to a three-form infant school in Orchard Street, Rainham, Gillingham. The nursery's place within the school is visible in shared creative projects: children explored primary colours for the whole-school We Love Colour! art week, contributing to a collaborative display.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance provide three ways to fit the nursery into family life. The distinction matters: a shorter session and a day spanning both sessions involve different collection arrangements.

Play is the main vehicle for learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with experiences taking place inside and outdoors. Adults guide some activities; children initiate others. In expressive arts and design, staff begin with children's interests and strengths, then introduce experiences that develop their skills. This gives children room to make choices alongside adult guidance.

Creative work connects several parts of early learning. Talking about artwork develops language, handling materials builds physical skills, and considering other children's creations supports social and emotional development. The purpose reaches beyond the finished picture: children practise expressing ideas and using tools.

EYFS art examples include vegetable printing, dough sculpture and outdoor painting. Colour mixing and work with textured paint add further ways to experiment with materials. During We Love Colour!, nursery children concentrated on primary colours. It is a concrete example of younger children participating in a school project through work suited to their stage.

Plain water belongs in children's water bottles. This is a straightforward nursery routine for families to build into daily preparation.

Communication across the school uses School Ping and Class Dojo, with weekly newsletters sent through School Ping. Families should keep their email details updated and check book bags for occasional paper correspondence. The combination gives parents both electronic updates and messages sent home with children.

For special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the class teacher is the first contact, with the special educational needs coordinator involved where needed. The school assesses needs and follows a cycle of planning, action and review throughout the year. External support may include speech and language therapy or occupational therapy. Parents can also discuss welfare concerns confidentially with a designated safeguarding lead.

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. Choosing Caterpillars should therefore be a decision about the nursery experience itself, with the Reception application treated as a separate step.

Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoons run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Full-day attendance starts at 8:45am and finishes at 3:15pm. These are the nursery times, so use them when planning collection.

Contact the school office on 01634 231327 or at stmargaretsinfantoffice@thewestbrooktrust.org for enquiries. School tours can be discussed with the office, including actual or virtual tours.

Travel. Parking is limited and Orchard Street is narrow, so the school encourages walking. Families travelling by car should park considerately and keep neighbours' driveways clear.