St Francis De Sales Catholic Infant School Nursery

Hatching eggs, making sounds with cardboard tubes and dressing as story characters give this Tottenham nursery a character of its own. It belongs to St Francis De Sales Catholic Infant School on Church Road, within a Roman Catholic school setting. Full-time nursery places are offered to families eligible for the 30-hour free childcare scheme whose children are aged 3 or 4 when the scheme begins.

Catholic learning starts in the early years. Come and See introduces Church, Christian Living and Sacrament through children's experiences and exploration of faith. Families choosing the nursery are also choosing this religious context.

Maths has a short, defined place in the day: nursery children have a daily focus session lasting up to 10 minutes, alongside continuous provision. That combines a brief period of focused teaching with opportunities to encounter maths through the activities available during the session.

Music brings a more exploratory rhythm. Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), nursery children recognise sounds and describe them through words and movement. They sing familiar family songs and nursery rhymes, experiment with cardboard tubes to make vocal sounds, and create music using instruments or body percussion. Comparing quiet and loud sounds gives them something concrete to listen for and discuss.

Stories have also prompted dressing up, reading and drawing together during Book Week. In a spring-term activity, children watched eggs from a batch of 16 hatch, then learnt about chickens' life cycle and the warmth and gentle handling chicks need. These examples connect language and observation with something children can see happening.

Classrooms include a focus for prayer, with religious symbols, icons and artefacts used in daily worship. Faith is part of the learning environment as well as a taught subject.

Lunch can be brought from home or supplied hot by Olive Dining, whose meal service is available to all children. Families choose one lunch arrangement for the entire week. Switching between packed lunches and school meals requires written notice to the office half a term ahead, so this is an arrangement to plan rather than change each morning.

Termly curriculum updates tell parents about their child's learning and suggest ways to support it at home. For families supporting communication, the school points parents towards Speech Link activities, Hungry Little Minds and Tiny Happy People. The latter two include language play ideas for young children, giving parents practical activities to try together.

The school says its curriculum considers children's developmental needs and special educational needs and disabilities. It aims to revisit basic skills while adapting learning to children's circumstances.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. The application route requires a Local Authority form alongside the school's Supplementary Information Form. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

For eligible families, the full-time offer is linked to the 30-hour free childcare scheme. Contact the school office about eligibility and the nursery application. School meals are paid for ahead of time through ParentPay; families seeking the PayPoint payment option should contact the office.

Visits can be arranged by calling 020 8808 2923 or emailing office@sfds.haringey.sch.uk. A tour offers a direct introduction to the school setting before deciding whether to apply.