Berkswich CofE (VC) Primary School Nursery

Music, movement and an optional lunch club give Berkswich's nursery a character of its own within this Church of England primary school in Walton-on-the-Hill. Cedars provides care beyond nursery sessions, making the lunchtime and afternoon choices useful parts of the family timetable.

A nursery teacher also leads the early years team. Teaching assistants work in the nursery, including a role shared with Cedars, which creates some continuity between nursery learning and wraparound care.

Exploring Sounds, Musical Stories and Celebration Music are named nursery learning themes, alongside Music and Movement. These give parents concrete examples of the nursery's creative learning: sound, stories and physical expression sit alongside one another. Physical education includes gymnastics, games and ball skills, as well as an introduction to fundamental movement skills.

Personal learning has its own named themes, including My Relationships, My Health and My Safety. My Community and My World extend that focus beyond the classroom. Together, these topics connect children's learning with their bodies, relationships and surroundings. Hygge is also a named approach within the early years provision.

Indoor and outdoor learning spaces both contribute to the early years experience. In January 2024, Ofsted found that these environments supported learning well and were of high quality. That is a useful finding for parents weighing the nursery's learning environment, alongside its session arrangements.

Lunch club gives nursery children a choice between bringing food from home and having a school dinner. It runs from 11:45am to 12:30pm, with the option of continuing into the afternoon nursery session. Families can therefore choose lunch at school even when collection follows immediately afterwards.

Support sits within the school's wider team structure. The special educational needs coordinator works with class teachers, while a pastoral team supports children directly. Parents with concerns about their child should approach the class teacher first; the SEND team can also be contacted at senco@berkswich.staffs.sch.uk. This gives families a clear starting point for discussing individual needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. For a September Reception start at Berkswich, parents apply directly to the local authority. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions, even when the preferred school remains the same.

Afternoon nursery runs from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. After lunch club, children can either join that session or be collected at 12:30pm from the school office. The distinction matters when planning the length of your child's day.

Cedars offers care before school from 7:45am to 8:45am, with after-school options ending at 4:30pm, 5:00pm or 5:45pm. Each child needs a Cedars registration form, and families must accept its booking and payment conditions. Sessions are booked through Schoolcomms Gateway in the preceding month; invoices must be paid by the month's 15th day.

Nursery funding can be used for hours at Cedars. Lunch club and school dinners carry separate charges, so include both when considering the arrangement. Contact the school for current charges. Cedars enquiries can go to cedars@berkswich.staffs.sch.uk.