St Helen's Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Language gives the early years at St Helen's their character: stories become letters to the Jolly Postman, while a trip to the local post office connects learning with the neighbourhood. These were examples from December 2022, giving parents a concrete picture of learning through books and experience.

At this Catholic primary school on Chargeable Lane in Plaistow, provision includes Preschool for two-year-olds and Nursery for children aged three and four. Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 6 and 7 December 2022; that judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the curriculum framework here. In practical terms, the December 2022 early-years findings show language running through learning, with adults developing vocabulary and responding to children's interests. Books helped children explore characters and extend their curiosity. Writing to the Jolly Postman gave those stories a purpose beyond listening.

Mathematical language also had a practical use: children compared objects by size, using words for length and height accurately. Outings included the local post office, giving children an opportunity to connect classroom ideas with a familiar community service. These are early-years examples, rather than a fixed nursery timetable.

Prayer is another part of EYFS learning. Children begin to explore quiet prayer, and prayer bears travel home so families can pray together. This brings the school's Catholic character into learning at home as well as school.

An EYFS lead forms part of the nursery staffing structure. Across the school, the inclusion team includes a SENCo, a pastoral care lead, Early Help, a SEND teacher and an intervention teacher. For families discussing additional needs, this provides several different areas of support rather than a single general contact.

Support covers communication, learning, emotional wellbeing, and sensory or physical needs. The school uses Assess, Plan, Do, Review to evaluate SEND provision, giving support a cycle of assessment and reconsideration. Parents can arrange a discussion through senco@st-helens.olog.org.uk.

Physical provision includes a school sensory garden and a quiet area. Indoor sensory and soft play spaces are timetabled for all children, making these shared school resources rather than facilities reserved solely for the nursery. Early-years children also learn about personal space as a way of understanding consent, as recorded in December 2022.

Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor gives priority under the admission arrangements for entry from September 2026. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority. For Newham residents, that means applying through Newham; families elsewhere apply through their own borough.

For the September 2026 Reception intake, the application deadline was 15 January 2026. A Supplementary Information Form was also required for consideration under the relevant faith criteria. Both processes matter: that form alone does not constitute a Reception application.

Morning Nursery sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons run from 12:20pm to 3:20pm. Full-time and part-time places were offered for the September 2026 intake, alongside breakfast care from 7:30am and after-school care until 6pm. These options give families different lengths of attendance to consider.

For three- and four-year-olds, universal early education provides 15 hours weekly from the September after their third birthday, with no eligibility code required. Eligible working families can receive an additional 15 hours through the 30-hour entitlement. Nursery applicants select a morning or afternoon session and provide entitlement documentation where applicable. Contact the school office on 020 7476 1785 or info@st-helens.olog.org.uk for nursery enquiries.