St Andrew’s Nursery, Stanstead Abbotts

Five mornings give St Andrew’s Nursery its steady weekly rhythm, with afternoon care shared between the school and Bobtails Playgroup on the same site. The nursery belongs to St Andrew’s Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School at Mill Race, Stanstead Abbotts, and forms part of its early years provision for three-year-olds.

For the September 2026 intake, there were 30 nursery places. Morning attendance is expected across the full week, so this suits families seeking a consistent pattern rather than choosing individual mornings.

Play chosen by children sits alongside activities guided by adults. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework for this learning: staff plan around children’s interests and experience, then observe their play to identify what they can do and what to introduce next. Indoor and outdoor exploration both feature in that approach. Assessment happens through observation, keeping attention on children’s developing skills during their activities.

Language has concrete daily ingredients. Books, poems, songs and rhymes are shared each day, while non-fiction follows a theme or a child’s interests. Development Matters informs the planning. Little Wandle provides the phonics approach, beginning in nursery with phase 1 activities focused on listening, speaking and recognising sounds. The emphasis is on building the foundations for reading.

Classroom book areas give children material to explore during their own play. Across the school, the OPAL (Outside Play and Learning) approach encourages outdoor use throughout the year. Its spaces include a mud kitchen, a forest area and loose parts for making dens and designing. These are school-wide facilities, alongside the nursery’s provision for exploration indoors and outside.

In November 2023, Ofsted found that early years children benefited from predictable routines and close relationships with adults, whose conversations extended children’s language and thinking. Familiar routines and adult interaction were central to the positive start described for the youngest children.

The staffing structure includes an Early Years Lead, alongside EYFS inclusion and whole-school autism leadership. For concerns about development, wellbeing or progress, the class teacher is the first contact and works with the special educational needs coordinator. Support follows Assess-Plan-Do-Review, with teaching adaptations, focused interventions or advice from external professionals among the possible responses. That gives parents a clear route into discussing their child’s needs.

Safeguarding arrangements include annual staff training and controlled building access. Entry points use key codes or doors that cannot be opened from outside, and collection during the school day goes through the School Office.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the relevant deadline.

For September 2026 entry, applications went through Hertfordshire Primary, Junior and Middle School Admissions, with a deadline of 15 January 2026. That cycle has passed; it should not be used as a deadline for a later intake.

Ofsted also identified inconsistent checks on understanding in some school lessons in November 2023. This was a school-wide improvement action, rather than a finding specifically assigned to the nursery: teachers needed to spot misunderstandings before introducing further learning.

Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am, five days a week. The core pattern provides 15 hours, matching the funded early education entitlement described for three- and four-year-olds.

Afternoon childcare adds another 15 hours on the school site. St Andrew’s provides Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, totalling six hours; Bobtails Playgroup covers Monday, Wednesday and Friday, totalling nine. Eligible working families may receive funding for those additional hours using an 11-digit code. Families who do not qualify can pay for afternoon sessions. Contact the school for current charges.

Toasties, the nursery breakfast club, starts at 7.15am from Monday to Friday. For current nursery enquiries, contact the School Office on 01920 870097 or admin@standrews323.herts.sch.uk. Tours can also be arranged through the office. For afternoon bookings, approach St Andrew’s for its two days and Bobtails at playleader@bobtailsplaygroup.org.uk for the other three.