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Nursery at St Ethelbert's 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play, early reading and Catholic faith shape the nursery at St Ethelbert's. Children join aged three, with a choice of 15 or 30 hours across the week, at the school's Wexham Road site in Slough. This is the school's own nursery class, with a nursery teacher and an early years practitioner.
Faith has a visible place in the classroom: the nursery has a prayer focus area whose colours change with the religious season. The school places religious and spiritual development alongside learning, so families are choosing a Catholic early education as well as a session pattern.
Children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). In parent terms, learning combines speaking and listening, physical development and relationships with early literacy, numbers, discovering the world and creative expression. Play and topics draw on children's interests. Adults join their activities to develop ideas and encourage further thinking, while children also choose their own learning in resourced provision areas.
Books, poems and stories sit alongside counting, exploring shapes and working with art materials. Role play, dance and music let children communicate their ideas and feelings. Outdoor learning is used to encourage cooperation and problem solving. The emphasis is on applying skills through activities that have a purpose for the child.
Read Write Inc. Phonics begins in Nursery. Across the EYFS, phonics sessions take place daily in groups matched to children's learning, with classroom activities giving them further practice. Rhymes and stories also build familiarity with words and their meanings.
In November 2024, Ofsted found that early years staff understood children's development and formed affectionate relationships with them. Nursery mark making helped develop the hand and finger control needed for writing. A separate, school-wide improvement point concerned checks on understanding: some teachers needed to identify learning gaps more accurately and adjust teaching sooner. That concern was not identified specifically as a nursery weakness.
Emotional support includes ELSA, which extends to nursery children. Individual or small-group work can address friendships, worries and managing feelings in a designated space within the school. Sessions run weekly for approximately an hour, with programmes lasting 6–12 weeks. Parents can raise this with their child's class teacher.
For children with speech and language needs, the school has a specialist Speech and Language Resource Base. Four of its 10 places are allocated to early years pupils with relevant education, health and care plans. Support combines work in mainstream classes with specialist interventions in the base. Families can contact the office to arrange a discussion with the SENCO.
Children attending the all-day nursery session have a one-hour lunch break. Harrison's Catering supplies school lunches, and the school prohibits foods containing nuts. These arrangements make allergies an essential part of planning food for the day. Parents receive Friday email updates, with additional reminders sometimes sent by text or email.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Slough Borough Council. The school directs parents to complete this in the September before their child starts full-time education; the council then notifies families about the allocation.
Educational continuity is a separate matter. Nursery and Reception staff work together to keep approaches consistent across the foundation stage. That supports continuity in learning, but it does not secure admission.
The 15-hour option means either mornings, 8:45am–11:45am, or afternoons, 12:45pm–3:45pm, Monday to Friday. Those hours cannot be combined into longer days over fewer days. Families need a five-day pattern.
For eligible families, the 30-hour session runs Monday to Friday, 8:45am–2:45pm. Eligibility codes must be supplied in advance for checking with Slough Borough Council. An additional charged hour extends the day to 3:45pm. Extra attendance for families without 30-hour funding requires agreement with the school; contact the office for current charges.
Nursery applications are sent to admissions@stethelberts.slough.sch.uk. General enquiries can go to post@stethelberts.slough.sch.uk or 01753 522048.
Children join aged three.
No. Families choose mornings or afternoons across Monday to Friday; the hours cannot be condensed into fewer, longer days.
The eligible funded session ends at 2:45pm. A charged extension is available until 3:45pm.
No. A separate application is required through Slough Borough Council, which notifies families of their allocation.
Speak to the child's class teacher first about ELSA support, which includes nursery children.
