St Augustine's Catholic Academy Nursery

A mud kitchen, water play and classroom lunches with teachers give the nursery at St Augustine's Catholic Academy a practical, sociable character. Nursery begins at three, while Mini Saints welcomes two-year-olds within the same Early Years department. The school is on Sandon Road in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent.

Mini Saints has its own space and resources suited to younger children, alongside access to the wider unit and its outdoor area. This gives the youngest children a base of their own while keeping them connected to the department.

Play takes up much of the Foundation Stage day, with teachers guiding learning and leading smaller groups. The Early Years Foundation Stage combines learning to communicate, manage feelings and move confidently with early reading, number, creative work and exploration of the world. Children practise both doing things independently and working with others.

Choices matter here. Nursery topics include Our Wonderful World and All Aboard, with stories and rhymes connecting the theme to activities. Children help decide the focus, which is reconsidered every two weeks and can continue longer when their interest lasts. Catholic religious education contributes to these themes.

Foundations for Phonics, part of Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, begins with careful listening to sounds. Songs, nursery rhymes and stories give that work a familiar shape. In Harmony music sessions add singing and percussion, while French introduces phrases, numbers and colours. These are concrete ways to practise listening and expression.

Outside, daily learning includes an assault course as well as the mud kitchen and water play. Appropriate coats and sensible shoes matter; wellies can stay at school. In March 2025, Ofsted found that early-years activities sparked curiosity and that children sustained their attention and persisted with tasks, both independently and alongside adults.

Each Foundation Stage child belongs to a key worker group. Conversation and games involving taking turns develop language within that smaller group. Nursery key workers also listen to individual readers daily, so reading books need to come to school each day.

Fruit and milk are free, and nursery children eat hot lunches with teachers in the classroom for a charge. Sharing the meal supports conversation and learning table manners. Mini Saints also uses classroom meals shared with teachers. Families should pass allergy changes to the office; individual dietary and healthcare plans are reviewed regularly.

Messages can be exchanged with an Early Years team member at the classroom door in the morning or afternoon. Concerns can also be discussed by appointment. Children are assessed when they begin the EYFS, with individual or small-group help for those whose progress needs support.

Early reading support. In March 2025, the inspection identified imprecise assessment of some pupils' early reading and writing difficulties, including pupils with SEND, and work that sometimes exceeded their skills. Families whose child needs additional help should discuss how tasks and support match their starting point.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. For September 2025 entry, the application route was Stoke-on-Trent's online school admissions service.

Mini Saints, Nursery and Reception staff work together within the Early Years department. That connection is separate from the decision about a Reception place.

The nursery day runs from 8:45am to 3pm. Mini Saints also offers morning sessions ending at 11:30am and afternoon sessions from 12:30pm to 3pm. Its attendance pattern depends on funding; the stated core pattern is Monday and Tuesday full days, followed by Wednesday morning.

Full-time places are offered to children eligible for 30 hours of funding. Some two-year-olds qualify for funded childcare, and working parents of three- and four-year-olds may qualify for 30 hours. Charges apply to unfunded Mini Saints places. Ask the school for current charges.

Early Years wraparound provision runs from 7:45am to 4pm, with Care Club extending to 5:30pm by arrangement. Booking and payment for the nursery's extended provision use Arbor. For enquiries, contact office@staca.org.uk or 01782 254831; visits can be arranged in advance.