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Nursery at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Sand, water, stories and daily worship give this Catholic school nursery its character. St Thomas of Canterbury in Mitcham provides nursery places for children aged two to four, with both 15-hour and 30-hour patterns. Catholic education is part of the choice: families are expected to support the school's religious ethos.
From September 2026, capacity for two-year-olds is up to ten 30-hour places or up to ten 15-hour AM/PM places. For three- and four-year-olds, the alternatives are up to twenty-six 30-hour places or fifty-two 15-hour AM/PM places. These patterns are combined within capacity, rather than added together. Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 4 and 5 May 2023; this is an early years judgement within the school inspection.
Learning connects ordinary routines with early skills. In autumn 2025, children used counting to understand registration and how many could use the nursery's sand and water areas. Drawing and painting helped them attach meaning to their marks, while rhymes, songs and listening to sounds introduced early phonics. These are practical beginnings: number, language and writing grow from things children can do and discuss.
Stories were read daily, with children encouraged to talk together and predict what might happen next. The autumn themes included All About Me and Colour, alongside birthdays and Christmas. Daily class worship involved reflection and liturgy, making the Catholic character part of the session itself. In May 2023, adults shaped learning around children's curiosity, using activities with clear educational purposes. Early years classrooms were calm enough for learning to proceed uninterrupted.
The early years team includes nursery teachers and a nursery teacher with responsibility for leading the phase, alongside nursery nurses. Parents can raise concerns with the class teacher; support draws on the SENCO and, where appropriate, Merton Inclusion Team and NHS Speech and Language. That gives families a route from an initial concern to specialist advice. In May 2023, children with SEND joining early years received appropriate support to learn with their peers.
School dinners are freshly prepared on site each day and carry a separate charge. In autumn 2025, nursery fruit came from two schemes: the Government's School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme and Tesco's Fruit & Veg for Schools programme. Parents did not need to bring snacks. Families supply details of allergies and dietary requirements, with supporting medical evidence requested. The school has wide corridors and flat or ramped entrances, useful physical features for families considering access needs.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no priority in the Reception oversubscription criteria. Families must apply again through their home local authority, using eAdmissions, by the national primary-school closing date. Choosing the nursery therefore requires a separate plan for the next application.
For children with SEND, the school plans personalised transitions with parents and the receiving setting. This support concerns preparation and continuity of care; Reception allocation remains a separate process.
The full nursery day runs from 8:45am to 3:30pm. For self-funded two-year-olds, morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:30am and afternoons from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Eligible working families can use 30-hour funding, but must provide a code for validation and reconfirm eligibility every three months. Additional daily time beyond the funded provision is charged separately, as are meals. Ask the school for current charges. Eligible two-year-olds can also access 15-hour Early Learning funding. Families must give the school their eligibility code for validation before this funding can be secured.
Labelled uniform and a labelled water bottle are expected. Nursery finishes on 17 December 2026, 24 March 2027 and 21 July 2027, ahead of the school's respective term endings, so childcare planning needs the nursery dates. Tours usually take place on Wednesdays at 10:00am; book through the school office on 0208 648 0869 or office@st-thomascanterbury.merton.sch.uk.
The nursery provides places for two-year-olds and children aged three to four.
The full day is 8:45am to 3:30pm. Self-funded two-year-old sessions are 8:45am to 11:30am or 12:30pm to 3:30pm.
No. Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor gives priority in the Reception criteria. Apply separately through your home local authority using eAdmissions by the national primary-school closing date.
School meals carry a separate charge. There is also a charge for additional daily time beyond the 30-hour funded provision. Contact the school for current charges.
Contact the school office on 0208 648 0869 or office@st-thomascanterbury.merton.sch.uk. Tours usually run on Wednesdays at 10:00am.
