St Nicholas CofE Primary School Nursery, Wallingford

Play, conversation and shared books give Mallards its character. This is the nursery class within St Nicholas CofE Primary School in Wallingford, with a nursery teacher and a nursery nurse among the school team. Its curriculum combines adult guidance with opportunities for children to explore their own ideas.

The school planned to relocate to the Highcroft housing development, with opening scheduled for September 2026. That planned change is significant context for families considering the nursery: the development was intended to turn St Nicholas into a full primary school.

The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum follows Development Matters. For parents, the practical emphasis is on learning through exploration and play, alongside adult help with language, early reading and mathematics. Adults demonstrate language, bring fresh ideas into activities and help children practise skills. Conversation is part of the learning itself.

Activities happen outside as well as inside, bringing opportunities to work through problems and build relationships. Communication, mathematical understanding and early reading sit alongside this play. The balance gives families a clearer picture of the approach: children explore, while adults give their learning direction.

In July 2022, Ofsted described nursery children enjoying their play and choosing adults to share books with them; books were a tangible feature of the nursery classroom. Early years children explored full, half-full and empty through planned play opportunities, giving these mathematical concepts a practical context. At school level, training for a small number of new staff in reading and mathematics was still incomplete that July. Inspectors also found variation in curriculum implementation: some pupils, including a few with SEND, were not securing their knowledge consistently. Further teacher training was required. This qualifies the positive picture of early learning rather than establishing a separate nursery grade.

A nursery teacher and nursery nurse give Mallards a distinct place within the wider staff team. For concerns about special educational needs or disabilities, the class teacher is the first contact, monitoring progress and discussing intervention with colleagues. The school aims to involve parents in planning support and to review children’s needs regularly. The SENCO can also be reached through the office or at senco@st-nicholas.co.uk.

ClassDojo shares information about learning, helping parents connect with what children are doing. Teachers can help families connect to it, and the office can pass messages on. Urgent messages should go through the office rather than waiting for a conversation at the gate.

Care also includes clear illness and medicine procedures. Following vomiting or diarrhoea, children must remain home for at least 48 hours after the last episode. Only prescribed medicines may be administered, with written parental permission. An adult must bring them to the office and collect them each day, in their original packaging and labelled with the child’s name and dosage.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal school admissions process, meeting the deadline for their entry year. Applications go directly to Oxfordshire County Council at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions. Choosing Mallards and applying for Reception are separate decisions.

Mallards has a morning session starting at 8:30am and an afternoon session starting at 12:00pm. Those different starting points matter when planning the family day.

Visits can be arranged through the school office on 01491 836408 or by emailing office@st-nicholas.co.uk. A visit provides an opportunity to meet the school team before deciding whether the nursery suits your child.