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Nursery at St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School
Last reviewed: October 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Reading to a teddy, hunting for bugs and making ice cream give St Mary’s early years its character: books and practical exploration sit together. This is the nursery within St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School on Melbourn Road, Royston, with a Catholic identity. Children can access a funded nursery place from the term after their third birthday. The September 2025 nursery intake had an admission number of 30.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Outstanding on 8 and 9 July 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. Teaching and curriculum planning in early years gave children firm foundations for subsequent learning.
Play shares the day with activities guided by adults. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning to communicate, managing feelings and relationships, physical development, early literacy and maths, exploring the world and creative expression. In practice, children work on skills such as using scissors and controlling a pencil. They also help choose the resources and activities for their play, giving them a say in what they explore.
Across early years, two spacious classrooms each have outdoor learning space accessible through the day. Nursery books are available outdoors as well as indoors during Discover and do. A reading corner has bean bags and book characters decorating its walls. Stories are shared daily, while a weekly busy fingers reading challenge involves reading to a teddy. Books therefore belong to play as well as group story time.
Little Wandle provides the early reading approach. Listening to surrounding sounds and acting out stories in play were features of early years in July 2025. Nursery mark making introduces writing, while audio books, large-format story books and a secret book taken home extend the ways children share stories. The school also teaches a growth mindset approach, encouraging children to persevere with unfamiliar tasks.
Preparation for starting early years includes conversations with families and previous settings, visits for children and an information evening for parents. These give staff a starting point for understanding children’s interests and needs. Tapestry journals share observations and achievements with families, making learning visible beyond the classroom.
The nursery class teacher also holds the RE Lead and Science Lead roles. An assistant head serves as the school’s special educational needs coordinator and designated safeguarding lead, supporting staff with interventions for additional needs. This places nursery support within the wider school team.
School meals are supplied by Hertfordshire Catering Limited (HCL). Its catering operation excludes nuts, and staff receive training for special diets. For families using nursery lunch provision, dietary arrangements and meal payments can be discussed with the school office.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate Reception application through their home local authority, following the normal application process and deadline. Treat that application as a separate family task, even while your child is already attending nursery.
For continuity in learning, the early years team uses assessment, teamwork and moderation across the move from Nursery to Reception. That educational continuity is separate from the allocation of places.
Eligible families can use 15 or 30 funded hours, with no additional costs during core funded hours. The core blocks are 9am to noon and, for families eligible for 30 hours, noon to 3pm. Provision runs on weekdays during term time. For 2025/26, the 15-hour allocation required attendance every weekday morning, rather than a selection of individual mornings.
Wraparound care spans 8am to 5:30pm. Breakfast Club, nursery lunch, afternoon care and After school club extend the core provision; optional sessions carry charges, and extended funding can cover clubs or afternoon sessions during term time. Contact the school for current charges.
Nursery children are dropped off at their classroom door and collected from their classroom. Tell the office and class teacher about a different collector. Children may wear red St Mary’s sweatshirts and T-shirts, and nursery pupils must use a red St Mary’s book bag. Enquiries can go to admin@st-marys-royston.herts.sch.uk or 01763 246021. Nursery open mornings require advance booking through the school.
No. Parents must apply separately through their home local authority using the normal Reception application process.
The nursery offers 15 or 30 funded hours, with no extra costs during core funded hours. Extended funding may also be used for clubs or afternoon sessions during term time.
Wraparound provision runs from 8am to 5:30pm. The core funded blocks are 9am to noon and, for eligible 30-hour families, noon to 3pm.
Staff share observations and achievements through Tapestry online journals. Nursery also sends books home for families to share.
Children can choose red St Mary’s sweatshirts and T-shirts. A red St Mary’s book bag is required for nursery pupils.
