Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Early writing and growing independence give this nursery’s wider early years provision its clearest character. At Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School in Blackfen, Sidcup, children have opportunities to practise making marks, with resources arranged to help them learn to do more for themselves. These are useful foundations for a child beginning school life: experimenting with marks and learning how to use materials independently.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 17 and 18 June 2025. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Learning begins with a planned sequence of knowledge and vocabulary from the start of early years. For parents, the practical point is that children’s activities sit within an intended learning sequence. New words and ideas have a place in that sequence, rather than being disconnected experiences. In June 2025, children enjoyed learning and developed the skills and knowledge they needed from early years onwards.

The learning environment supports increasing independence. Children can access resources they need, giving them opportunities to take a more active role in their learning. Mark making is a concrete example: repeated opportunities to experiment with marks help children develop greater accuracy as their early writing takes shape. This gives parents something specific to look for in their child’s work, beyond whether a finished picture looks neat.

There is a qualification to the curriculum picture. The June 2025 school-level improvement finding concerned activities in some subjects that did not connect sufficiently with earlier learning. The requested change was to make activity choices match the intended curriculum more consistently. This concern applies to the school’s curriculum findings and should not be presented as a nursery-specific weakness.

Settling into school life receives attention. In June 2025, younger children received support as they adjusted, and became familiar with everyday routines and expectations quickly. For a child beginning nursery, learning what happens next is part of the adjustment alongside learning new skills.

That finding gives families a useful focus for early conversations with staff: how their child is becoming accustomed to routines and what expectations they are beginning to understand. It describes the children’s adjustment, rather than promising that every child will settle at the same pace.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the later school application as separate decisions; attendance itself should not be taken as assurance of a place.

The school is on Holbeach Gardens, Sidcup, DA15 8QW. Nursery enquiries can go through the school office by telephone on 0208 850 4470 or by email to admin@ourlady.bexley.sch.uk.