Banks St Stephen's CofE School Nursery Review

Forest School on Wednesdays, library books on Mondays and playful sound games each day give Fox Cubs a recognisable weekly rhythm. This is the nursery provision within Banks St Stephen's CofE School: Fox Cubs Toddlers serves 2-3 year olds, while the teacher-led Fox Cubs Pre-school caters for children aged 3 and 4. The pre-school has a maximum of 26 children, and its classroom is beside Reception. That puts the older nursery group within the school's early years provision.

In January 2026, Ofsted judged early years to meet the Expected standard. Its findings included thoughtful use of stories and effective support for younger children's language and movement, useful foundations for children beginning their school experience.

Play carries the learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines speaking and listening, movement and relationships with early number work, literacy, creative activities and exploration of the world. Staff use Birth to Five Matters and Lancashire's A Framework to Support Curriculum Planning to plan learning around children's development. The emphasis is on practising skills through purposeful activity.

For pre-school children, Phase 1 of Red Rose Phonics means listening games, rhyme, experimenting with voices and blending sounds aloud. Monday brings a library visit; Tuesday includes Show and Tell and music during teaching cover. Wednesday is Forest School, with PE on Friday. These give families concrete starting points for conversations about the week.

Outdoor learning has substantial space: the Early Years garden and forest area are available to Fox Cubs, and weatherproof suits and wellies are provided for pre-school Forest School. Indoors, nursery play kitchens support imaginative play. Helicopter Stories also involves the EYFS children: an adult records a child's spoken story, which children then perform with friends, props or toys. Their own ideas become material for language practice.

January 2026 findings described children learning through investigations such as watching ice melt. Adults supported physical activity and clearer speech, while encouraging children to attempt manageable tasks themselves. Independence develops alongside conversation.

Two full-time early years practitioners make up the toddler team. Pre-school has class teachers, daily teaching-assistant support and teaching cover that includes music. The January 2026 early years findings described predictable routines that helped children feel secure, alongside close cooperation with families over learning and wellbeing.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive prompt identification and effective support in early years, with professionals or other settings involved where necessary. There is also a wider-school improvement point: staff training needs to deepen expertise in supporting learning, especially for pupils with SEND. This sits alongside the positive early years findings.

For children using Breakfast Club, food includes toast, fruit, pancakes and cereals, with allergies catered for. After School Club provides fruit and vegetable snacks, and children can bring snacks of their own. A no-nuts rule applies. These arrangements matter when nursery attendance extends beyond the main sessions.

Attending Fox Cubs does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal Lancashire County Council primary-school application route and meet the applicable deadline. Nursery booking and school-place allocation are separate decisions.

The adjacent pre-school and Reception classrooms, together with joint curriculum planning across early years, provide continuity in the learning setting. That educational connection does not secure admission.

Pre-school opens at 8.45am and closes at 3pm; its main sessions run from 9am to noon and noon to 3pm. Funded and paid sessions can be combined. For children aged 3-4, 15 funded hours begin in the term following their third birthday; some parents qualify for 30 funded hours. Ask the school for current charges.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 8.45am, and After School Club from 3.15pm to 6pm; both accept nursery children. Book through ParentPay at least 24 hours ahead. Children must be signed in for breakfast care and collected by 6pm. Fox Cubs Nursery Booking Form handles enquiries and visit bookings.

Bring a labelled water bottle and a named bag with spare clothing. Nursery footwear can include trainers, and Fox Cubs sweatshirts or tracksuits are among the uniform options. Pre-school children attend in comfortable PE clothing and trainers on Fridays.