St Michael's CofE Primary School Nursery Review

Daisy Class gives the nursery at St Michael's CofE Primary School its own identity within the school in Bodenham, Hereford. This is school-attached provision with a Church of England context. A short prayer of thanks before lunch brings that Christian character into an ordinary nursery routine.

Language and independence are the clearest features of the early years learning here. In June 2024, activities suited children's needs, and adults demonstrated communication that helped children develop their own language and become more independent. The value for a young child is practical: learning involves interaction with adults as well as taking part in an activity.

Both the classroom and outside learning space engaged children. The June 2024 early years findings described children doing well and enjoying their learning, with effective exchanges between adults and children. Together, those findings give parents a picture of learning shaped around children's development, with indoor and outdoor environments contributing to the experience.

Relationships matter in the early years. In June 2024, connections between parents, staff and children helped children feel happy and confident. For families, that links the emotional side of nursery life with children's readiness to take part in learning.

For special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the first contact is the class teacher, with the SEND coordinator involved in further discussions where needed. Across the school, support follows a cycle of assessment, planning, action and review. Parents contribute their concerns and their knowledge of the child, and receive notes from the initial discussions. That gives families a part in deciding what support should achieve.

Adaptations can include visual timetables, extra time to process information and teaching important vocabulary ahead of an activity. Resources and staffing can also be adjusted. Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists are among the agencies the school works with, providing routes to specialist advice when a child's needs call for it.

Children receiving SEN Support have an Individual Support Plan detailing their provision. Parents and children may also contribute to a One Page Profile explaining how they would like support to work. These arrangements make individual needs explicit for staff, rather than leaving families to repeat the same explanation at each discussion.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no priority for September 2027 entry. Families must make a separate application through the local authority where they live, using the online common application form by 15 January 2027. Late applications are normally considered after applications received by the deadline.

The admissions criteria include care status, qualifying staff connections, exceptional medical or social needs, service families, catchment and siblings. Nursery attendance is not a criterion. Choosing Daisy Class therefore needs to be a decision about nursery itself, with the Reception application treated as a separate step.

For children with SEND moving to another setting, information is shared with the receiving provider, with parents and children agreeing what is passed on. This supports continuity of care; it does not change admission priority.

Nursery enquiries can go to the school office on 01568 797241 or by email to admin@st-michaels.hereford.sch.uk.

Regular attendance is an explicit expectation for children with a nursery place. The school aims to work with families to identify barriers to attendance and provide support, so difficulties attending should become a conversation with staff rather than an unresolved pattern.