St Winefride's RC Primary School Nursery Review

Books and Catholic faith give this nursery its clearest character. At the September 2023 inspection, reading took priority from the start of Nursery. The Foundation Stage uses Come and See for religious education. For families, that combines an early emphasis on books with an explicitly Christian approach to learning.

The nursery belongs to St Winefride's RC Primary School on Church Road in Manor Park, Newham. In September 2023, Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Good. This is an early years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum draws on seven learning areas. The school describes an approach in which children develop skills through play and ordinary daily experiences. Its aims connect learning with caring for the planet and living healthy, kind lives, giving practical experiences a wider purpose.

Reading provides a clear starting point. In September 2023, encouraging enjoyment of books began as soon as children joined Nursery. Early years learning also included exploring the neighbourhood and noticing how seasons change: familiar surroundings become material for learning about the world.

Come and See brings a named structure to religious education through Explore, Reveal and Respond. Topics begin with children's experiences, introduce Christian beliefs and invite a personal response. Each class has a prayer table, with its covering changed through the church year. Faith therefore has a physical place in the classroom as well as a place in teaching.

Performance is another early years experience. In December 2025, every EYFS child participated in the annual Christmas Nativity, involving costumes and scenery. That gives children a shared occasion to prepare for and take part in.

Curriculum consistency. In September 2023, some early years activities fell short of the curriculum's intended ambition, leaving knowledge and skills less secure in those areas. Parents should weigh this specific teaching concern alongside the Good early years judgement.

Classroom habits form part of the early years experience. In September 2023, staff established effective routines from the early years and demonstrated respectful ways to interact. For young children, those repeated expectations help make group learning understandable.

An EYFS leadership role sits alongside responsibility for inclusion and intervention in the staff structure. These are useful starting points for conversations about a child's learning or support needs, keeping early years teaching and inclusion in view together.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the deadline for their child's entry year.

For September 2024 entry, applications went through the family's home local authority, with Newham residents applying through Newham. The requirement to apply again covered nursery children and children with a sibling at the school. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

Separate nursery application forms cover September entry and entry during the year. There is also an expression-of-interest route for 30 Hour Provision; this should not be treated as confirmation of an entitlement or a place.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school on 020 8478 0510 or email info@st-winefrides.newham.sch.uk. The school address is Church Road, Manor Park, London E12 6HB.