St Catherine's CofE Primary School Nursery

An early start within a Church of England primary school gives this nursery its identity. St Catherine's has provision for two-year-old children on Moorland Road in Launceston, and its nursery is known as Foundation Stage One. It is part of the school, with a nursery manager, deputy manager and nursery assistants forming its own team.

Early reading and vocabulary are explicit priorities from the early years. The school aims to help children become confident readers through this emphasis, putting learning words alongside learning to read. For parents considering the nursery, that gives a clear sense of the educational direction: language development matters from the beginning.

Across the school, Read Write Inc. is the programme used for phonics. The broader curriculum also aims to develop children's attitudes to learning alongside their knowledge. These are school-level approaches, rather than a prescribed timetable for each nursery session.

Christian values shape that wider direction. The school uses The Good Samaritan to explore kindness, respect and differences between people, and aims to encourage curiosity and thoughtful action. Its stated ambition includes helping children take responsibility and show care for others. That places relationships alongside learning in the school's educational aims.

A manager and deputy provide the nursery's leadership structure, supported by nursery assistants. Alongside that team, the school's arrangements for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) give parents a route for raising concerns: the child's teacher is the first contact. Concerns can include speech and language, hearing, mobility, learning or emotional difficulties.

For children with SEND, individual provision maps identify learning targets and the teaching support they receive. Teachers share these with parents each term, giving families a regular opportunity to discuss the support around their child. The school says it aims for daily contact with families and welcomes conversations about concerns.

Additional services depend on a child's needs. The school has access to a play therapist and family practitioner for children identified as needing them, and can involve health, social services or local authority professionals. These arrangements give families a framework for discussing support beyond the classroom.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions route, meeting the deadline for their child's entry year. Cornwall's online admissions system is the application route.

For the past application cycle, the Reception deadline was 15 January 2026. Keep the two decisions separate: choosing nursery provision and applying for a school place are distinct steps. A nursery place should therefore be considered on its own merits when planning your child's early education.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office by telephone on 01566 772198. The school's general contact email is stcatherines@andaras.org, and the address is Moorland Road, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 7HX. Use the nursery enquiry route when seeking a place, while making the later Reception application through Cornwall's admissions system.