Christ The King Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Purposeful activities and conversations that build vocabulary give this nursery its character. In June 2026, staff were quick to establish what children could already do and used that understanding to plan their learning. Children had opportunities to repeat and strengthen important skills. That gives families a concrete reason to consider the nursery: teaching starts with the child’s existing knowledge.

Christ The King Catholic Primary School’s nursery serves three- and four-year-olds on the school’s premises in Lulworth Road, Reading. It belongs to a Catholic primary school. The nursery’s positive findings sit alongside an early years judgement of Needs attention in the Ofsted report published on 2 June 2026. That judgement covers early years, rather than being a separate nursery rating.

Learning activities have a defined purpose. Staff establish children’s starting points promptly, then organise opportunities to practise skills and make them more secure. The practical implication is that activities are chosen to develop learning, rather than simply occupy children. Adult conversation is a strength within the nursery: staff extend children’s vocabulary through their exchanges with them.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) curriculum builds knowledge and skills progressively. For parents, this means learning is intended to connect over time, with earlier skills supporting later ones. Children also begin exploring how letters relate to sounds, but the June 2026 report found that some were not progressing as they should.

Consistency across early years. In June 2026, the curriculum’s design was stronger than its delivery. Planning sometimes gave insufficient attention to children’s next learning needs, including those with SEND. Staff expertise also differed across early years, and further training was needed to make language teaching consistently effective. Families should weigh the nursery’s specific strengths alongside those wider early years concerns.

Communication with families is a strength in early years. Staff and parents exchange information that matters to children’s care and learning, giving families a part in the conversation about their child’s development.

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school’s Individual Education Plans (IEPs) provide a structure for planning and reviewing support. Class teachers draw these up with parents or carers and the child. Targets are reviewed and can be changed, so support is intended to respond to progress rather than remain fixed.

That policy needs to be considered alongside the June 2026 early years concern about teaching being insufficiently matched to some children’s next steps. An IEP provides a planning framework; the quality of the adjustments during activities matters too. The school’s SEND coordinators can be contacted at senco@christtheking.reading.sch.uk.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process, by the normal deadline. The school directs applications through Reading Borough Council. Treat this as a separate decision from choosing nursery provision.

For an application based on a child being a baptised Catholic, the school recommends completing its supplementary information form, although completing that form is not compulsory. The form supports the admissions process; it does not replace the council application.

The school office is the enquiry contact: email admin@christtheking.reading.sch.uk or telephone 0118 901 5434. The address is Lulworth Road, Reading, RG2 8LX.

A substantive headteacher was appointed to take up the post on 1 September 2026. This is a dated leadership change for families considering the nursery within the school.