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Nursery at St John's Primary and Nursery 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Stories, rhymes and learning to play together give this nursery its clearest character. At St John's Primary and Nursery School in Southampton's Old Town, the early years emphasis reaches beyond learning activities to the social skills children need to take part in the day. Becoming comfortable with routines matters alongside picking up a pencil.
Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 24 and 25 June 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school. It provides a dated assessment of the provision, rather than a separate nursery inspection grade.
Writing sits alongside hands-on tasks and activities involving movement. In June 2025, children in early years approached these activities eagerly and kept their attention on what they were doing. That combination matters: there is room both to practise a skill and to stay absorbed in an activity, with physical learning alongside work involving writing.
Social learning has a clear purpose here. Children receive help with understanding the day's routines and playing constructively with others. For a young child, taking part involves more than completing an activity: it also means learning how to share play with other children and understand what happens next. These are explicit priorities in the early years provision.
Story-sharing begins in the Nursery Year. Traditional tales and rhymes also connect learning with family life, including the rhyme A sailor went to sea. Familiar words give children something they can return to with their families, extending an activity beyond the nursery session.
Early reading. The June 2025 inspection identified uneven clarity in some phonics teaching across the school. Some children were consequently uncertain about the sounds being taught. This is a school-wide improvement requirement, relevant to families considering how early reading is taught; it is not a finding that every nursery activity had this weakness.
Clear expectations and established routines start in early years. Alongside the emphasis on playing together, they give children a framework for participating in the day. In June 2025, children remained interested in their activities and approached learning positively.
Families can revisit A sailor went to sea at home, giving them a shared link to children's early years learning. This creates a concrete connection between nursery learning and home life: a familiar rhyme can become something child and parent share together.
Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place at St John's. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by the normal deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions: time spent in the nursery does not itself secure the next place.
The school is on French Street, Old Town, Southampton, SO14 2AU. Its telephone number is 02380226545, providing a direct contact for nursery enquiries.
Early years provision was judged Good at the inspection on 24 and 25 June 2025. This was a judgement within the school's inspection, not a separate nursery grade.
Early years activities include writing, hands-on learning and movement. Children also share stories from the Nursery Year.
Traditional stories and rhymes are shared with parents and carers, and children continue enjoying them with their families at home.
No. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process.
It is at St John's Primary and Nursery School, French Street, Old Town, Southampton, SO14 2AU.
