St Mary's Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Language and communication give St Mary's early years provision its clearest character. In March 2024, children received substantial adult help with these skills, building the foundations for reading and writing. That is a meaningful starting point for families choosing a first school experience.

The nursery belongs to St Mary's Catholic Primary School on Rockingham Close in Uxbridge. Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Outstanding following its inspection on 6 and 7 March 2024. This is an early years judgement within the school's inspection.

Learning to communicate is a central part of the early years experience here. Adult support helps children develop the language they will need for later literacy. For parents, the emphasis is on the foundations: being able to express themselves and communicate with others before tackling reading and writing.

Daily routines also make expectations explicit. Nursery staff explain the school's four rules each day during the first half-term, including the reasons behind them and their effect on others. Children get repeated explanations as they become familiar with school routines.

Physical resources include sensory boxes in every class, alongside movement breaks for the whole class. These give children access to different sensory experiences during the day. Outdoor provision has also received investment: the July 2022 governance statement recorded fixed early years playground equipment and additional resources.

Chatty Bats is a named nursery intervention for speech and language needs. It sits within the school's SEND provision, with teaching assistants trained to deliver interventions. This gives families a concrete programme to discuss when a child's communication needs extra attention.

The school's SENCO is a qualified teacher with the National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination. Teachers receive SEN training within school and support from the SENCO. These are school staffing arrangements, rather than a nursery staffing ratio.

Parents who have concerns begin with their child's teacher. The SEND process brings parents into decisions about the outcomes sought and the support planned. An Individual Education Plan records agreed actions, is shared with relevant staff and goes to the family too. Support follows a cycle of assessment, planning, putting the plan into practice and reviewing its effect, so decisions can change as staff learn what helps the child.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the applicable deadline. Treat that application as a separate task when planning your child's next step.

For children with SEN, the school's arrangements for changing year groups include meeting the incoming teacher and visiting the next classroom. Where appropriate, a transition book uses photographs of the classroom and staff to help the child prepare. Familiarity supports the change; it does not secure admission.

The school office can be contacted on 01895 232814 or at office@stmarysuxbridge.org.uk. For SEND concerns, parents can arrange a teacher appointment through the office or contact the SENCO directly using the same email address and telephone number. This provides a route to discuss a child's needs before agreeing the next steps in their support.