St Frideswide Church of England Primary School Nursery Review

Books are part of the experience from the start at St Frideswide’s pre-school. This provision for three-year-old children belongs to the Church of England primary school on Cricket Road in Oxford. Its early years provision received a Good judgement at Ofsted’s inspection on 17 and 18 October 2023. That is an early years judgement within the school inspection.

Early reading gives the pre-school day a clear educational focus. In October 2023, children had books to explore from the beginning of pre-school, and preparation for phonics was effective. For parents, the useful distinction is between introducing children to books and preparing them for the sound-based teaching that supports reading. Both featured here.

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, is the framework for learning in these foundation years. Within that context, the October 2023 findings described ambition beginning in pre-school, with learning sequenced so that new knowledge builds on earlier understanding. The emphasis is on developing foundations that later learning can draw upon.

Support sits within the school’s approach to identifying, assessing and responding to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). There is an Early Years SENCo as well as an inclusion leadership role. This gives families an early years contact within the wider inclusion structure, rather than leaving developmental concerns solely with the general office.

The school aims to recognise barriers early and respond to each child’s developmental starting point. Resources and classroom strategies recommended for children with SEND are also accessible to other children. The school describes this shared approach as a way to reduce stigma around support and help children regulate themselves.

All school staff have received training in Attachment Theory and Trauma. The school encourages adults to consider behaviour as communication and to respond to children as individuals. For a family discussing distress or difficulty participating, that provides a useful starting point for explaining what their child may be expressing.

The SEND process includes a concern form, discussion involving the phase leader and SENCo, and referral to outside agencies. Parents or carers receive a letter when a decision is made to place their child on the SEND register. These are concrete steps for raising concerns and communicating a support decision.

Separate application. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal Reception admissions process and meet its deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two decisions, even when the preferred school is the same.

For admissions enquiries, contact attendance@stfrideswides.co.uk or telephone 01865 509444. Teaching and learning questions for the Barrier Reef phase, covering ages three through Reception, go to barrierreef@stfrideswides.co.uk.

Wraparound bookings for pre-school children are handled directly by the Pod team by email at thepod@stfrideswides.co.uk. This is a separate practical contact from the phase’s teaching and learning email, so families can direct childcare bookings to the team handling them.