St Matthew's CofE Primary School Nursery

Gardening and Forest School give early learning at St Matthew's a practical, outdoor thread. The nursery belongs to the Church of England primary school in Normanton-on-Trent, where the school's age range begins at three. Its setting is rural, with a single-storey school building and substantial green space.

The school grounds include a willow trail, a trim trail and a storytelling area alongside the playing field and Forest School area. These are school facilities, giving families a sense of the wider setting around the nursery. The partnership with Norwell C of E Primary School also brings pre-school children together for play and picnics, creating opportunities to meet children beyond their own school.

Early Years Foundation Stage learning includes practical exploration, making and finding out about the surrounding world. Adult-guided activities sit alongside projects children initiate themselves. In design and technology, the early-years approach uses Plan, Do, Review: children work with materials, try out ideas and consider what they have made. Gardening is part of this learning, with St Matthew's developing growing activities through Forest School.

Art provides another route into hands-on discovery. Early-years children experiment with tools and materials, while adults teach them how to handle these carefully. They observe the natural world and describe its textures, colours, shapes and smells. This connects making with language: children have something concrete to examine and talk about.

Understanding the World includes exploring the local environment, creating maps and recognising places in aerial photographs. Images, stories and video introduce contrasting places. The purpose is to connect children's immediate surroundings with a wider world, rather than leaving learning at the level of an abstract description.

The teacher responsible for EYFS and Key Stage 1 also holds the SENDCo role. Within the federation's support arrangements, teachers monitor children's learning and consult the SENDCo when concerns arise. Support can include work with an individual child or a small group, with specialist advice sought where appropriate.

Parents contribute to discussions about targets and support. Meetings can be arranged with the class teacher or SENDCo, alongside two parent consultation evenings each year and an annual school report. For children with SEND joining the setting, information from their previous provision and initial assessments help determine support. The arrangements depend on the child's needs.

Wheelchair access and an accessible toilet are features of the school setting. Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy are among the services that can be accessed through school, offering routes to specialist input when needed.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place or confer priority under the 2027-28 arrangements. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority. For September 2027 entry, the deadline is 15 January 2027.

Allocation follows the admission criteria, including care status, catchment residence and sibling circumstances, with distance used to distinguish applications where relevant. Nursery participation and the Reception application therefore need to be treated as separate decisions.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01636 821217 or email office@st-matthews.notts.sch.uk. Visits to the school can be arranged by telephone, giving prospective families an opportunity to see the setting.

St Matthew's is on Mill Lane, Normanton-on-Trent, NG23 6RW. The school office is the direct contact point for families arranging a visit or making an enquiry.