Our Lady & St. Joseph Catholic Academy Nursery Review

Purposeful play and an emphasis on language give this nursery its character. Children start from age three within Our Lady & St. Joseph Catholic Academy, a Catholic primary school in Nuneaton. The nursery combines morning provision with a longer day and optional care before and afterwards, giving families distinct attendance patterns.

Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Outstanding following its inspection on 4 and 5 March 2025. That is an early years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

Play is the main route into learning. Activities have planned learning goals, while children work at a pace suited to their development and build on skills they already have. This gives play a clear purpose: it is how children practise and extend their understanding.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning to communicate, developing physical skills and managing feelings and relationships with early mathematics, literacy, creative expression and understanding the world. For parents, that means the curriculum reaches beyond preparation for reading: social and physical development also have their place.

Language receives deliberate attention. In March 2025, vocabulary development began in the early years, with communication and preparation for reading priorities from Nursery. Children learned the routines and habits that help them take part in learning. These foundations matter before formal reading begins: understanding words and knowing how to participate give children a starting point for what follows.

Care and kindness extend from Nursery onwards. In March 2025, children were safe, contented and confident, making emotional security part of the early years picture alongside learning.

Preparation for starting nursery is practical. Parents are encouraged to talk positively about what their child will do, share books about nursery and help them practise using the toilet independently. Easily managed clothes support that last step. The advice gives families concrete ways to prepare for a new routine.

Early years teachers can speak with parents at the classroom door at the beginning and end of the day. Arbor carries weekly updates and important messages; longer conversations can be arranged through the office. These routes give parents both brief everyday contact and a way to make time for a fuller discussion.

Nursery staffing includes teachers and teaching assistants. Families with concerns about a possible special educational need can contact the SEND team through the main school telephone line. For children attending the 30-hour pattern, lunch can be brought from home or provided as a charged school dinner. School meals are ordered through Arbor.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee admission to Reception at Our Lady & St. Joseph Catholic Academy. Confirm Reception application arrangements with the school. Choosing the nursery should therefore be a decision about the nursery experience itself, rather than an assumption that the next place is secured. Children can also move to another school.

The nursery asks children to attend five days each week. The 15-hour pattern runs from 9am to noon; children taking 30 hours attend from 9am to 3pm. Wraparound care is charged separately, with a morning session from 8am to 9am and an afternoon session from 3pm to 4:30pm. These extensions can help families fit care around the nursery day.

From age three, the nursery offers a 15-hour funded entitlement over 38 term-time weeks. Access to 30 funded hours depends on eligibility. Families who do not qualify for that funding can pay for afternoon attendance.

Tours can be arranged by calling the school office on 02476383807. Nursery application forms are obtained from the office and may be submitted after a child's second birthday, with a birth certificate and a baptismal certificate where applicable.

OLSTJ's Family Bank provides reused uniform, food items, hygiene supplies and baby care products, with no obligation to pay. It occupies the old school entrance to KS1, giving families a practical point of support beyond the classroom.