Scarisbrick St Mark's Church of England Primary School Nursery

Forest school, church activities and learning within Class 1 give this nursery its character: an early start within a Church of England primary school, with experiences extending beyond the classroom. The provision serves children aged 3 and 4 in the year before they begin full-time education. Nursery learning sits within Class 1, which also includes older children.

The emphasis is on early learning within school life. For families, the important distinction is between becoming familiar with the school and securing a future place there: those are separate matters.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes learning. In parent language, this brings together talking and listening, movement, relationships and managing feelings, alongside early reading, number, creative expression and understanding the world. Teachers plan around children's development and interests, giving learning a starting point in the child rather than simply a subject timetable.

Forest school and activities involving the local church and community add experiences beyond indoor teaching. These give children things to explore and talk about. Indoors and outdoors both matter: in January 2023, early-years children had appealing spaces for learning in each, sustained their attention and played cooperatively.

Sound awareness is another starting point. In January 2023, the youngest early-years children began by learning to distinguish sounds. St Mark's uses Essential Letters and Sounds as its phonics programme, and nursery children develop phonetic skills. That makes listening an identifiable part of preparation for reading.

Curriculum sequence. In January 2023, the intended knowledge across some early-years learning areas needed clearer definition. More carefully ordered learning was required so children could build their understanding consistently. This is a material qualification to the positive picture of the learning spaces and children's engagement.

Lunch offers a practical choice: nursery children can remain to eat a packed lunch brought from home or a purchased school meal. Families can therefore choose between sending familiar food and using the school dinner option.

Support for additional needs reaches the early years. In January 2023, staff identified children's SEND promptly and provided classroom help that enabled them to participate in the curriculum alongside their peers. The school's SENCO can be contacted through the office, giving parents a direct route for discussing additional needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal school admissions process. Lancashire County Council is the admissions authority; applications are online, with the closing date in January before the September start. Families living outside Lancashire apply through their home authority.

Parents of children starting full-time education are invited to an induction meeting. This supports preparation for the change, while remaining separate from the decision about allocating a place.

The 2025-2026 nursery offer set morning sessions between 8.30am and 12.50pm, Monday to Friday. It offered up to 15 funded hours per week, with the entitlement covering 38 weeks of the year. Parents could divide their entitlement between St Mark's and another nursery, allowing attendance here to form part of a wider childcare arrangement.

Nursery application forms come from the school office. For enquiries, telephone 01704 880636 or email head@st-marks.lancs.sch.uk. Contact the school for current charges.