St Cuthbert's Church of England Academy Infants and Pre-School

Two dedicated rooms inside the main school building give St Cuthbert's Pre-School its defining shape: a nursery with outdoor space and access to the infant school's facilities. Children aged 2 to 4 attend here in Wells, at Keward Walk. The school describes learning through creative play, with challenge alongside enjoyment.

This is the school's own nursery provision. Its position within the building makes the school surroundings part of children's early experience, rather than something entirely new when they move on.

Families can choose a morning, an afternoon or a full day, with lunchtime included in some shorter sessions. That gives the day a practical shape: a shorter stretch of nursery learning or a longer session spanning lunch. The two rooms and outdoor space provide settings for play, while access to school facilities extends beyond the nursery's own classrooms.

The Early Years Foundation Stage connects learning with children's development. Here, observation helps staff understand children's interests and what they can already do, then plan their next steps. For younger children, the development check covers movement and physical skills, communication and language, and personal, emotional and social development. These are useful foundations for taking part in activities and learning alongside other children.

At the June 2023 inspection, early-years children were engaged in learning, and staff's choices of stories and songs supported early reading. Mathematics included comparing quantities, counting and tackling number problems up to 10. There was also a curriculum weakness: in a few subjects, the links between early-years learning and later teaching were insufficiently planned, making it harder for teachers to extend children's existing knowledge. That matters alongside the positive picture of children's attention and enthusiasm.

A key person gives each family a consistent staff contact. They help a child settle, work with parents on individual needs and interests, and use observations to plan learning. Tapestry, the online learning journal, lets parents add photographs and comments from home. Family knowledge can therefore shape what staff plan next.

Between 24 and 36 months, the key person completes a written development summary, drawing on everyday observations and contributions from parents and other professionals. Staff working with children have paediatric first aid training; the team also holds food hygiene certificates. The nursery's stated staffing ratios are one adult to four children aged 2 to 3, and one to eight aged 3 to 4.

Support includes children with disabilities or learning difficulties and those learning English as an additional language. Disabled access serves both children and adults. Parents can contact the school's SENDCo through the office to discuss concerns, giving families a route into the wider school's support structure.

Lunch needs planning at home. Parents supply a packed lunch whenever their child's session covers lunchtime, including the full day.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through their home local authority, using the Common Application Form, and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. For Somerset residents, that route is Somerset Council; the application can be completed online or on paper.

The nursery's shared location and access to school facilities offer familiarity before that next step. The school aims for this to help children settle into Reception. Familiar surroundings and an admission offer are separate matters.

The full day runs from 09:00 to 15:00. Morning sessions finish at 11:45 without lunch or 12:15 with lunch. Afternoon sessions begin at 11:45 with lunch or 12:15 without it, and both finish at 15:00. Choose the lunch arrangement as well as the length of session.

Places include fee-paying children and children awarded Supported 2 year old funding. For children aged 3 and 4, the universal entitlement is 15 hours each week from the funding period following their third birthday. Working Family Codes concern up to 30 funded hours for working parents. Charges are structured by hourly rate and session length; contact the school for current charges.

Visits are by appointment. Call 01749 672591 or email office@stcuthbertsacademywells.co.uk to arrange one. For direct nursery enquiries, preschool@stcuthbertsacademywells.co.uk and 01749 675995 provide another route to the team.