Nursery at St John's School
Last reviewed: September 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Lambs is the nursery class at St John's School, giving children an early-years base within the wider prep school rather than operating as a separately registered nursery. Entry is at 3+, and the school publishes approximately 40 places for September 2027. It currently describes the school as boys-only, with girls joining Early Years from September 2027.
The nursery's character comes through most clearly in the May 2023 ISI evidence. Children selected activities confidently, talked readily with adults and worked together on projects. That combination points to a day built around purposeful choice: children have room to follow an interest, while adults use conversation and shared tasks to develop it.
The Early Years Foundation Stage is the framework here, meaning learning covers communication, physical development, relationships, early literacy and mathematics through play and guided activity. The 2023 inspection saw that framework in action rather than as a list on paper. Nursery children served flowers in a role-play florist, made information books with recognisable letters and explained how runner beans would grow after planting them.
Investigation has a strong place too. EYFS children studied a bug with a magnifying glass, while nursery children sustained their chosen outdoor activities, including riding bikes and filling large teapots with water. Collaborative play was equally visible when children built a train track together. These are small examples, but they show adults linking talk, mark-making, science, physical movement and cooperation to things three-year-olds can handle for themselves.
Outdoor learning is not treated merely as break time. The evidence describes children making genuine choices there and remaining absorbed for extended periods. For a child who learns by doing, that free-flowing mix of movement, water play and close observation should make the curriculum tangible.
Children in the EYFS were comfortable approaching adults and choosing their own activities in May 2023. Inspectors also saw a calm social culture: children worked alongside one another and were kind to their peers. Nursery examples included relevant back-and-forth conversation with adults, so support was woven into play rather than reserved for a formal lesson.
Independence develops through ordinary routines. EYFS children looked after their belongings and carried their trays in the dining hall. They also understood healthy choices and personal safety, supported by experiences such as a visit from dental professionals. Families should ask the nursery directly about its current key-person allocation, settling plan, parent updates, lunch arrangements and support for additional needs, because the archived current website material does not set out those practical details.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. St John's publishes Nursery at 3+ and Reception at 4+ as separate entry points, each with its own registration and assessment timetable. A family wanting Reception must therefore make a fresh application through the school's own admissions process.
For September 2027, the published Reception registration deadline is 4 December 2026, followed by an assessment on 4 January 2027. The school describes a small-group, play-based session aligned with the EYFS. Its archived admissions guide does not state that nursery attendance gives priority, so families should not treat familiarity with the school as an admissions advantage.
Applications for September 2027 Nursery entry are made online. The school publishes a registration deadline of 30 September 2026, assessment dates of 15 and 16 October 2026 and outcomes in mid-November. Children attend in groups of six to eight for about 50 minutes, with families invited to remain during the session. Staff observe communication, social interaction and early learning skills through play.
The admissions team is the direct contact for applications and practical questions. Families should confirm the current daily start and finish times, funded-hours structure, uniform, collection arrangements, charges and any wraparound options before applying. This matters because those details determine whether the school day works for a household long before the assessment date arrives.
The main nursery entry point is 3+. For September 2027, the admissions guide specifies children born between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024.
The school publishes approximately 40 Nursery places for September 2027.
Inspection examples from May 2023 included role play, making information books, planting runner beans, investigating a bug, building a train track, riding bikes and water play.
The published 3+ process uses a play-based session of about 50 minutes in a small group. Staff observe communication, social interaction and early learning skills, and families may remain with their child.
No. Nursery and Reception are separate entry points, so families must apply again through the school's Reception admissions process. The published guide does not state that nursery attendance gives priority.
