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Nursery at Chantry Primary Academy
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Puppets, bread-making and live caterpillars give Chantry’s nursery its character: stories become things children can act out, make and observe. This is the school’s own nursery in Luton, with 104 part-time places. It caters for ages 2 to 4, with entry from the term following a child’s second birthday dependent on space and funding eligibility.
A nursery class teacher sits within the Early Years Foundation Stage team. The emphasis is on regular attendance: Chantry prefers five consecutive sessions each week, giving children a recurring pattern rather than occasional childcare.
Books organise the learning. In Traditional Tales, children join in with stories, use puppets to retell them and make bread. Under the Sea brings a pirate role-play area and dressing up, alongside books including Sharing a Shell. These activities give children ways to explore a story through language, movement and imagination.
The Minibeasts topic pairs The Very Hungry Caterpillar with living caterpillars that children watch become butterflies. Children make their own minibeasts using different materials and explore life cycles. Animals introduces a vet’s role-play area and a mobile farm visit, connecting pretend care with encounters with animals. The Transport trip to Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway is specifically for children due to move to Reception that September.
The Early Years Foundation Stage spans language, relationships, movement, early reading and writing, maths, creativity and understanding the world. Here, activities include cooking, music, making models, scientific exploration and mathematical problems. Outdoor play continues in different weather, so a coat belongs in the everyday kit. Painting and water activities come with aprons.
Tuesdays bring shared reading: parents can help children choose a book to borrow and read together. That gives families a direct part in the nursery’s book-based day.
Settling starts before the first session. Staff arrange a home visit to talk with parents and begin getting to know the child through play; families can choose a nursery visit instead. Parents may stay alongside their child for several days or longer if needed. The pace depends on the child.
Each child belongs to a care group, whose responsible adult helps record progress. Insight holds learning records, while Class Dojo supports messages between staff and parents. Families receive a brief report each term, with opportunities to discuss progress at autumn and spring open evenings.
Snack means fruit with water or milk. Parents should flag food allergies. For additional needs, nursery staff discuss concerns with families and can involve the school’s inclusion manager. Staff have had additional training in special needs. Parents are also asked to share the findings of their child’s development check at age 2, helping staff understand needs from the start.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Luton Council, using its online route or the Application Form for Luton Residents, by the normal deadline for their intake.
For September 2027 entry, nursery attendance confers no priority. Allocation follows the school’s admissions criteria, so choosing nursery and applying for Reception remain separate decisions.
Before children move on, families receive a detailed summer report and can discuss it with staff. For children with SEND, information about support passes to the next teacher and staff collaborate at transition. This supports continuity of care; it does not change admission rights.
Morning nursery runs from 8:30am to 11:30am, and afternoon nursery from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday. Full-day options depend on demand and space; flexible patterns are considered individually.
Eligible children can use funded provision of 15 or 30 hours. The 30-hour arrangement covers 38 weeks, with an option to stretch it across up to 44 weeks through holiday clubs, reducing the weekly allocation. Additional hours can be paid for. Contact the school for current charges.
Care Club provides nursery wraparound sessions, including a lunch period from 11:30am to 12:30pm. Breakfast Club opens at 7:30am, and after-school care finishes by 6:00pm. Care Club occupies the Community Hub, accessed from Wedgewood Road through an electronically controlled gate. Registration, advance payment and ParentMail bookings are required.
For nursery enquiries, contact the office on 01582 706500 or admin@chantryprimaryacademy.co.uk. Uniform is preferred, with grey jogging bottoms permitted and black shoes with velcro fastenings requested. A responsible adult must bring and collect children; an alternative collector needs the agreed password and staff must be informed.
Children aged 2 to 4, with eligibility to start from the term after their second birthday subject to space and funding eligibility.
Yes. Parents can accompany their child for several days or longer where needed, and may choose a nursery visit instead of a home visit before starting.
Children have fruit and a drink of water or milk. Tell staff about any food allergies.
No. A separate Luton Council application is required. Nursery attendance gives no priority for September 2027 entry.
Yes. Wraparound provision includes morning, lunch and afternoon sessions. Care Club requires registration and advance booking and payment through ParentMail.
