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Nursery at St Thomas's CofE Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play, conversation and growing independence shape the nursery at St Thomas's CofE Primary School in Kendal Green. Children aged two to four have their own nursery provision within this Church of England primary school, with entry possible from the term following their second birthday. The emphasis is on making choices and learning through exploration, giving young children an active part in their day.
Early years provision received an Outstanding judgement at Ofsted's inspection on 24 and 25 September 2024. That judgement covers the school's early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery. Its most useful detail for parents is the attention given to language: adults turn interactions into opportunities to teach, with activities designed to strengthen children's speech.
Morning or afternoon sessions combine activities guided by adults with learning that children initiate themselves. Planning responds to children's interests and their stage of development. This gives the day two complementary strands: adults introduce learning, while children practise making decisions and pursuing their own ideas through play.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework. In parent terms, it brings together movement, communication and emotional development with early reading, number, creative expression and discovering how the world works. Hands-on experiences and conversation are central to the nursery's approach, so learning extends beyond completing a task to talking about and exploring it.
Birth to 5 Matters guides the school's early years design and technology teaching, with skills developed through themes. Personal and social learning runs through the nursery curriculum too. Relationships, understanding feelings and developing a sense of self are explicit topics, making learning to be with other children part of the educational day.
In September 2024, early years staff's training supported consistent, effective phonics teaching. The same inspection raised a school-wide concern about delays in spotting misunderstandings in a few subjects. This was not identified as a nursery-specific weakness, but it is a useful distinction alongside the early years judgement.
Children settled promptly in early years in September 2024. For families beginning nursery, that is a relevant finding about the start of school life, alongside the nursery's play-based emphasis on independence and choice.
The school has an Early Years Lead and a SENDCo. Parents can contact the SENDCo directly by email, providing a separate route for discussing additional needs.
Food provision has a concrete base: the school's own kitchen cooks meals on site using local ingredients. Its catering accommodates allergies and nutritional needs, with lunches ordered through the School Meals Ordering Form. These are school catering arrangements; families should distinguish them from the session they book.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Choosing nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions; familiarity with the school should not be treated as an admissions entitlement.
Eligible families can use funded nursery places for 15 or 30 hours. Three- and four-year-olds have the 15-hour entitlement, while eligible working parents can receive 30 hours per week. Funding for two-year-olds includes separate schemes for working parents and families receiving qualifying government support.
Wraparound care becomes an option from the term after a child turns three. Larks breakfast club opens at 7:30am; Owls runs from 3:20pm until 5:50pm. This age condition matters when planning care for a younger nursery child.
Visits can be arranged by calling 01539 737373 or emailing nursery@stthomas.cumbria.sch.uk. Contact the school for current charges.
Children aged two, three and four can attend. They can start from the term after their second birthday.
The nursery follows the EYFS, combining adult-led activities with children's own play and exploration. Planning takes account of their interests and developmental stages.
Yes. The nursery offers 15- and 30-hour funded places where eligible, with separate funding schemes for two-year-olds.
Wraparound care is available from the term after children turn three. Larks opens at 7:30am, and Owls runs from 3:20pm to 5:50pm.
No. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline.
