St Francis RC Primary School Nursery Review

A nursery playground of its own gives St Francis’s youngest children a distinct space within this Catholic primary school in Peckham. The nursery belongs to the school’s Foundation Stage, with children joining during the year of their fourth birthday. The SEND policy describes 26 nursery places and a three-day pattern. That makes the attendance model a practical consideration for families planning childcare around work.

Catholic faith shapes the wider setting. Love, forgiveness and honesty are among its Gospel values, and the school has a close relationship with the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows. Families are choosing a nursery within that religious community.

Indoor activities and an outdoor learning area provide the settings for both planned learning and children’s own exploration. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning to communicate, developing physical skills and understanding feelings and relationships, alongside early literacy, maths, creativity and discovering how the world works. For parents, this means the curriculum reaches beyond preparation for reading and writing.

Stories have a clear purpose here: repeated encounters with words give children language to try out themselves. Creative work adds another way to communicate. Using Development Matters to plan, the Foundation Stage team includes opportunities to express ideas through dance, music, art and making. Children experiment with textures and colours, and can choose materials independently. That gives them decisions to make as well as instructions to follow.

Construction and food hygiene also feature in Foundation Stage planning, with activities shaped around children’s interests and development. Children are encouraged to consider their plans and assess what they have made. Teachers, early years practitioners and learning support assistants plan together, using observations of children’s learning to decide what comes next.

Support starts with understanding the child. Nursery assessments continue throughout attendance, while additional interventions are checked at least termly and recorded in a provision map or Individual Education Plan. This provides a process for adjusting help as needs become clearer.

The school’s SEND approach involves parents in assessment, planning and review. External specialists become involved with parental consent; possible services include Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Accessibility provision includes ramps, accessible toilets and changing equipment. These are practical features for families whose children need help with mobility or personal care.

Parent-teacher meetings take place each term, with a weekly newsletter providing wider school updates. In June 2023, Ofsted described early-years children developing routines and awareness of other people’s needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal local-authority process. The 2026–2027 admission arrangements give no priority for nursery attendance: places are allocated using the stated admission categories and tie-breakers.

The application route is the Common Application Form, available through eAdmissions. The admissions page gives 15 January before the child’s Reception start as the deadline. Under the 2026–2027 policy, applicants using the baptised Catholic category must also supply the school with a baptismal certificate by the national closing date.

Transition support is a separate matter. An open morning lets children explore their future Reception classroom. For children with SEND, the school plans additional support for class changes and shares information between the current teacher, receiving teacher and SEND coordinator.

The nursery’s three-day pattern is described in the SEND policy. Enquiries go through the school office at Friary Road, London SE15 1RQ: telephone 020 7639 0187 or email office@stfrancis.southwark.sch.uk. Parents visiting the school must first call at the office.