Veritas Primary Academy Nursery Review

Little Explorers gives Veritas Primary Academy’s nursery its name, and discovery gives the provision its character. Children learn through play, with opportunities to explore inside and outdoors. This is the school’s own preschool provision on Weston Road in Stafford, accepting children from the term after their third birthday.

September, January and April intakes allow children to join at different points in the school year, subject to places. A nursery teacher and preschool teaching assistants form the classroom team. For parents, the attraction is a play-based start within a primary school, with early-years staff involved in the next step too.

Play has a planned purpose here. Staff organise activities across the development areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), helping children work towards early learning goals. In parent language, that brings together learning to communicate, move and manage feelings with early reading, maths, creativity and discovering how the world works. Children have room to make discoveries outdoors as well as in their classrooms, rather than learning only through adult-led tasks.

Cultures and festivals form part of that exploration. From September 2026, Kapow Primary RSHE and PSHE also supports the early-years programme, covering relationships, feelings, communication and keeping healthy and safe. These are practical foundations for playing alongside other children and expressing what they need.

Shared experiences add another dimension. Nursery children rehearsed songs and lines for The Big Little Nativity in 2025. A Stay and Play session planned for June 2026 invited parents into their child’s classroom to explore how daily maths learning works. These examples connect classroom learning with performance and give families a concrete way to understand the activities behind it.

Ofsted’s October 2023 inspection found that the youngest children began positively, with adults using parents’ knowledge to shape activities that interested them. That makes the home-school relationship relevant to learning, as well as care.

A key person helps each child become familiar with the setting and maintains contact with parents. The role includes recording achievements through photographs and observations, reviewing development with families and planning the next learning steps. Other adults also work with the child; the key person is not a constant shadow. Familiarity is built through a relationship, rather than exclusive care by one adult.

Additional support starts with the class teacher, backed by the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). Visual timetables, individual or small-group help and safe spaces are among the school’s support options. Parents can arrange a SENCO appointment through the office, giving families a clear route for discussing learning needs. The building has wide corridors, accessible toilets and a passenger lift.

Nursery lunchtime runs from 11:30 to 12:30. School meals were offered to nursery children in the 2024/2025 cycle, with meals charged separately from additional attendance hours.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place or confer admissions priority. Families must make a separate application through Staffordshire County Council, with the normal deadline of 15 January. Choose the nursery for the experience it offers now, while treating the school application as a separate decision.

Preschool and Reception staff work together on transition. Support for children with additional needs can include extra classroom visits, meetings with the next teacher and photographs assembled into a transition booklet. Those arrangements help children become familiar with new people and places; they do not change how places are allocated.

The nursery operates in term time. Preschool options include a morning session from 08:45 to 11:45, an afternoon from 12:30 to 15:30, and a full-day option from 07:45 to 17:45. Lunchtime and evening attendance are also offered. Little Pilots is the EYFS wraparound provision, with Sunrise Squad and Sunset Squad teams.

The first 15 or 30 hours are funded according to eligibility; additional hours are chargeable. Contact the school for current charges. For a later intake, parents submit an enquiry form and are contacted nearer the relevant application period. Open Evenings before each intake provide an opportunity to see the preschool and meet the Early Years Team.

Access by car needs planning: the driveway permits a left turn only. Outside normal collection and drop-off periods, security gates require visitors to buzz the office for entry. The office telephone is 01785 333400.