St Austin's Catholic Primary School Nursery

Spanish starts in Nursery at St Austin's, alongside the rhymes, songs and early language work that prepare children for later reading. This is the school's own nursery class on Riverbank Road in Liverpool, within a Catholic primary setting. Its September 2026 intake was planned around 26 full-time places. That is the nursery admission number, rather than the capacity of the whole school.

Families can choose a morning or afternoon pattern, with a longer day also offered. The distinction matters: choosing the nursery means choosing a particular session pattern as well as a school community.

Language learning has concrete forms here. During the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that nursery children developed language through singing and rhymes, providing preparation for phonics. Spanish lessons add another language from the nursery stage. PE takes place on Thursdays and Mondays, giving physical activity named slots in the nursery week.

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, brings together children's learning, development and care. Development Matters informs planning half-term by half-term, so the framework is translated into successive blocks of learning. Parents can follow that planning through the Nursery class page, which carries curriculum documents for each half-term. The EYFS page also provides the parent guide What to expect: A Guide for Parents/Carers, giving families a way to understand the approach behind their child's activities.

Settling into routines is an evidenced strength: in October 2023, Ofsted found that children in early years adjusted quickly to school routines. That matters for children beginning to spend time away from home and learning the rhythm of a school session.

For families with additional needs, the school's SENCO can be contacted through enquiries@st-austins.co.uk. A sensory room is part of the school's facilities, alongside links with A Quiet Place and Seedlings. These are school-level resources, rather than a description of a separate nursery support package.

Food for Thought supplies the school's catering. Menus can change, so the meal listed for a particular day should not be treated as fixed. The provider is a company operating on a not-for-profit basis and owned by its schools.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application rather than assume that their nursery place carries forward.

For September 2026 entry, the process required both an application to the local authority and a school form. The school's deadline for that form was 15 January 2026, with a utility bill less than three months old as proof of residence, a baptism certificate and a birth certificate required alongside it. That deadline belongs to a past intake. Treat the two application routes as separate tasks when planning the next stage.

Morning sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Both universal session patterns cover Monday to Friday. The opening-hours timetable also gives a 30-hour nursery pattern running from 8:30am to 2:30pm, plus an extended day ending at 3:15pm.

Longer days. The additional extension is offered to children taking the 30-hour provision and carries a charge. Families choosing it should obtain current charges from the school before committing to that pattern.

Nursery forms can be requested by email at enquiries@st-austins.co.uk or collected from the school office. The office telephone number is 0151 427 1800. On nursery PE days, jewellery must be removed: a small practical detail to build into the morning routine.