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Nursery at St Mary's RC Primary School, Manchester, A Voluntary 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A Catholic school setting and a gradual introduction give St Mary's nursery its character. The nursery takes children aged 3+ within St Mary's RC Primary School in Levenshulme. Families of any faith, or none, are welcome to apply.
For the 2024/25 admissions cycle, nursery numbers depended on waiting-list numbers, with a maximum of 39 full-time places and a potentially higher total where part-time places were offered. That distinction matters: the number of children and the balance of attendance patterns depend on how places are organised.
Practical activity and learning outdoors are part of the school's curriculum aims. The wider school grounds include the Secret Garden, Pond Life and Forest School, giving the school named spaces around which to organise outdoor experiences. These are school facilities, rather than a description of a nursery-only garden.
Growth Mindset is a named approach across the school. St Mary's encourages children to treat mistakes as opportunities to learn and aims to develop curiosity and confidence. For parents, that explains the intended attitude to learning: trying, questioning and practising matter alongside getting something right.
The school also aims to give children some choice over what they learn and how they approach it, as well as time to practise new skills. These are useful principles for understanding the wider educational setting in which the nursery sits.
Settling begins with a home visit before admission. An induction follows so that children can become familiar with nursery, and confirmation of the place depends on completing that induction satisfactorily. Families should understand this condition before treating a provisional offer as final. Admission may be deferred or refused if a child is judged not ready.
Lunch has a practical choice: school meals are cooked in the school's own kitchen, and pupils can instead bring a packed lunch. A named lunch box is required for packed lunches. With no fridge space for them, insulated bags and freezer blocks are advised to help keep food cool.
Fresh drinking water is accessible throughout the day. Children must not exchange food, and families with special dietary requirements are asked to keep packed lunches as healthy as possible.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Manchester City Council and complete the school's application form. Treat this as a fresh application, rather than an automatic continuation of the nursery place.
The 2024/25 admission arrangements gave no priority for nursery attendance. Reception applications were considered after Manchester's closing date, with places allocated against the admission criteria. Nursery familiarity and admission entitlement are separate questions.
Nursery applications go directly to the school. September is the intake point, although vacancies can allow admission at other times, at the governing body's discretion.
Part-time provision covers 15 hours. Families seeking full-time attendance can use a 30-hour funding code or pay a weekly top-up for the additional hours. Ask the school for current charges. Parents considering an application can arrange a school visit and obtain the nursery application form from the office.
Nursery places are for children aged 3+.
No. Reception requires a separate application through Manchester City Council and the school's application form. The 2024/25 arrangements did not give priority for nursery attendance.
A home visit precedes an induction period. A provisional nursery place is confirmed only after satisfactory completion of induction.
Yes. It should be healthy and carried in a named lunch box. Insulated bags with freezer blocks are advised because there is no fridge space for packed lunches.
Apply directly to the school for nursery. Application forms can be obtained from the office, and parents considering a place can make an appointment to visit.
