The District CofE Primary School Nursery

Willow Room and Rowan Room give the youngest children their own spaces, with indoor and outdoor play built into the nursery routine. The District CofE Primary School’s nursery caters for ages 2 to 4 on the school site: Willow Room is for 2-year-olds, while Rowan Room takes children aged 3 to 4.

Purpose-built learning areas serve both rooms. This is a nursery day shaped around short group activities and longer stretches of independent choice, with children able to move between inside and outside. For a child who likes to switch between quiet play and bigger movements, that freedom is a useful part of the daily arrangement.

Small-group activities punctuate the sessions, leaving longer periods for children to select their own play. The curriculum uses the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as its basis for content and expectations. Here, that takes a practical form: children can make music, explore books, experiment with clay or play dough, and use a writing area.

Imaginative play has several starting points. Dressing up and role play sit alongside construction and miniature worlds featuring dinosaurs, a farm or a dolls house. Children have materials for making things and settings for inventing stories. Jigsaws and tabletop games provide opportunities to practise fine motor skills; sand and water add different materials to explore.

Outside is part of the learning space rather than an occasional extra. Children can move freely between the two environments, including opportunities for larger physical play outdoors. Clothing needs to suit that pattern: much of their learning happens outside, so practical outdoor clothes matter throughout the session.

Communication runs through Class Dojo, which lets parents exchange messages with their child’s teacher or senior leadership team as well as receive news and event updates. Keeping contact details up to date with the office also helps staff reach families when a child becomes unwell.

An EYFS and Key Stage 1 SEN lead sits within the school’s inclusion and pastoral team, alongside a SENCo, pastoral manager and nurture lead. Parents can contact that team through the office to discuss their child’s needs. Support can involve work with individuals or small groups, giving families a route into help with emotional wellbeing and learning behaviours.

Rowan Room children can stay over lunchtime when required. Meals at school are prepared fresh by the cook and assistant cook, and school lunches are chosen through School Grid. That lunch option matters for families arranging care across both nursery sessions.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. The application route is through St Helens Borough Council, including its online portal; treat this as a separate task from arranging a nursery place.

Both rooms run weekday morning sessions from 8:45am to 11:45am and afternoon sessions from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Lunch falls between 11:45am and 12:15pm. Those session boundaries are the starting point for planning the family’s day.

For children aged 3 and over, Rowan Room can offer breakfast club from 8am, with a staff member accompanying children to the room, and after-school club until 5:30pm. This extends the care options for that age group. Refer to the school for current charges.

Children aged 3 to 4 have a 15-hour weekly funded nursery education entitlement during term time; eligible working families can receive 30 hours. Rowan Room offers both funded patterns and paid places. Nursery applications can be made by emailing district@sthelens.org.uk, and potential families can arrange a school visit through the office on 01744 678250.

For 2-year-olds, funded places depend on meeting the funding criteria. Eligible children can receive 15 hours a week or 30 hours from September 2025. Families should confirm their child’s eligibility when arranging a place.