St Hugh's School Nursery Review

Woodland learning gives the Cottage Nursery a distinctive setting within St Hugh's School at Carswell Manor, Faringdon. Children can join from age 3, and Forest School takes place in woods within the school grounds. It brings a different learning space into their early school experience.

At the November 2025 inspection, 19 children attended Nursery. That is an attendance figure for that visit, rather than a measure of capacity. The nursery belongs to an independent school, with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) providing the framework for its youngest children's learning.

Play and exploration shape the EYFS approach here. In parent terms, early learning combines developing language, beginning to read and write, and working with numbers through practical activities. In November 2025, ISI found that early-years provision addressed these needs effectively, with teachers adjusting activities around children's interests and needs.

Children have a voice in their learning. During that inspection, their ideas helped shape a music activity exploring tempo and rhythm. This gives a concrete example of children contributing to an activity's direction, rather than simply following instructions. Early-years phonics also involves practising letter sounds, simple reading and forming letters, connecting spoken language with the beginnings of written communication.

Forest School adds woodland exploration to the experience. It is available to children aged 3 to 9 and led by specially trained school staff. For nursery children, that means an outdoor learning environment beyond the classroom, within the school's own grounds.

An introductory pop-in session allows prospective nursery children to attend with a parent present. It offers a shared first encounter with the setting before entry. Once children are attending, an online platform shares early-years learning and physical development with parents, giving families a way to follow their child's progress.

Emotional learning includes the colour monster, used in early years to help children recognise and name feelings. In November 2025, the youngest children were supervised throughout their activities, and early-years staff training included nutrition, food handling and paediatric first aid. A wider recruitment concern involved checks for supervised sports coaches; this was corrected during the inspection, with greater procedural clarity recommended.

The school catering team prepares food daily using fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced locally. Medical support includes a Medical Centre near the dining room, staffed by a qualified nurse and a first-aid-qualified medical assistant. Families must flag additional support needs when enquiring or registering, bringing that discussion into the process before entry.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families should treat Reception admission as a separate process and apply through the school's normal admissions route. Initial enquiries go to the Registrar; places for applicants are allocated by registration date, with an allowance for siblings. Familiarity with the school should therefore be kept separate from the question of securing admission.

Funded hours. St Hugh's supports up to 15 funded education hours for children aged 3 and 4, but does not accept further funded hours. Families eligible for a larger entitlement need to account for that limit when planning childcare.

Afternoon care. Nursery Robins provides charged wraparound care from 3.30pm to 4.40pm. Contact the school for current charges. The school bus is restricted to Year 1 and above, so nursery families need their own transport arrangements.

Enquiries and individual visits can be arranged through the admissions team at admissions@st-hughs.co.uk or on 01367 870700. A visit offers time to discuss the nursery and the admissions process with the school.