St Peter's CofE Primary Academy, Mansfield: Nursery Review

Wellie Wednesdays take nursery learning into The Triangle of Land, a named woodland area that gives this provision a distinctive outdoor rhythm. Stories shape the learning indoors, while children's interests help determine what comes next. There is a concrete balance here between language, exploration and play.

Pips is the school's F1 nursery class, within the Foundation Stage at St Peter's CofE Primary Academy, Mansfield, on Bellamy Road. The school's education begins at age 3. This is nursery provision within a Church of England primary academy, with an early years curriculum that connects indoor learning and outdoor activity. Ofsted judged the early years provision Good at the inspection on 21 and 22 April 2022; that judgement covers the school's early years as a whole.

Half-termly learning themes grow from stories, with children's own fascinations also influencing the activities. The curriculum draws on Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters. In parent language, the Early Years Foundation Stage brings together learning to communicate, manage feelings, build relationships and move confidently, alongside early literacy, number, creativity and understanding the world. These learning areas link together, supporting children's knowledge and understanding at a stage appropriate for them.

Within the Foundation Unit, indoor and outdoor activities respond to the topic and to children's next learning steps. Foundation teaching combines Drawing Club with Talk for Writing, and early years reading uses Read, Write Inc, with groups organised by developmental stage. The emphasis is on starting from what children can already do. In April 2022, inspectors found that early years staff deliberately expanded children's vocabulary to help them communicate, alongside carefully organised early reading teaching.

Wednesday brings the Foundation Stage's Forest School session, led by a leader with Level 3 certification. The wider programme includes a mud kitchen, shelter building and balancing on a slackline. Together with the weekly woodland learning, this gives children practical opportunities to explore materials, movement and the natural world. Outdoor learning has a regular place in the week.

Families can contribute achievements from home to Tapestry, the online learning journey, and approach the Foundation Team with questions. That creates a way to connect learning at nursery with what a child is doing elsewhere, rather than limiting communication to classroom activities.

For additional needs, the class teacher is the main contact. The school's Graduated Response involves parents in identifying needs and adjusting support, with reviews usually held termly. A diagnosis is not required for support to begin. This matters for families whose child's difficulties are becoming apparent but who are still waiting for assessment.

The SENDCo has time away from teaching for meetings with families. Support can include changes in the classroom or intervention groups, and children receiving SEND support have a review with parents each term. Forest School also has a weekly intervention group for a small number of children who need more focused help to participate.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery admission and Reception admission are separate: families must apply again through the normal Reception process and meet its application deadline. Treat the nursery choice as a decision about your child's early years experience, with the later school application a separate step.

Morning nursery runs from 8:30am to 11:30am. Since September 2025, the arrangement has been morning provision only, except for children with a 30 hour code covering the extra 15 hours of childcare. That condition matters when matching nursery attendance to family working hours.

Wraparound care. The school's breakfast and afterschool clubs exclude Nursery F1 children. Families needing care around the nursery session therefore need another arrangement.

For nursery enquiries, contact the office on 01623 489980 or email office@stpeters.snmat.org.uk. These provide a direct route to discuss joining the provision.