St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Nursery, Waltham Cross

Catholic daily life and child-led creativity give this nursery its setting: St Joseph's places its nursery within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), alongside Reception. It is part of the primary school on Royal Avenue in Waltham Cross, rather than a separate childcare setting.

Applications from families of any faith are welcome. That sits alongside a distinctly Catholic school identity, so families can weigh both the inclusive entry invitation and the religious character of the children's surroundings.

Choice is part of early-years creative learning. Children are encouraged to decide for themselves and start their own activities, while teachers plan creativity around the Early Learning Goals for children aged three to five. In parent language, this connects creative exploration with the skills children are developing, and gives them opportunities to practise making decisions.

Purple Mash provides the computing scheme across the school, beginning in EYFS. Religious learning has its own named programme, RED, introduced in September 2025. Prayer marks the beginning and end of the school day and surrounds lunch. Each classroom also has a reflection table, changed to match religious seasons or themes: a concrete focus for the school's Catholic life.

Specific experiences bring another dimension. During Children's Mental Health Week in February 2024, nursery children learnt Makaton signs for feelings, and EYFS children took a sensory walk. These were opportunities to explore emotions through signs and to pay attention to their surroundings. In the 2026 Aspirations Day activities, EYFS and younger primary children also had a Little City experience.

Support sits within the school's wider SEND arrangements. Class teams discuss children's needs, assessment informs targets, and provision planning shapes individual learning. For families whose child needs additional help, the useful feature is this connection between identifying needs and planning what happens in class.

Parents have a recurring opportunity for discussion: the SENCo holds a coffee gathering each half term. A separate wellbeing update also comes out each half term, with ideas and advice for families. These give parents routes into the school's support work beyond an individual concern.

Caterlink became the trust-wide school catering provider from September 2026. Meal questions go through the school office, keeping food enquiries within the same contact route as other practical matters.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route.

For September 2026 entry, that meant an online Hertfordshire application and a Supplementary Information Form submitted to the school. The deadline was 15 January 2026. Nursery applications for that cycle went directly to the school, making the distinction between the two processes clear.

St Joseph's is a 30 hours childcare provider. Nursery enquiries go to the school office, with contact available by telephone on 01992 629503 or email at admin@stjosephs351.herts.sch.uk.

The nursery has its own building, which also houses the school's breakfast and after-school provision. Treat the nursery application and the later Reception application as separate steps when planning your child's time here.