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Nursery at St Catherine Catholic Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Picture books, sound games and questions about whether it is ever acceptable to shout give St Catherine’s nursery a character built around talk and discovery. This is the school’s own nursery on Money Lane in West Drayton, with morning, afternoon and whole-day patterns for children aged three and four. Up to 24 children share the classroom at any one time, combining children attending shorter sessions with those staying longer.
Catholic faith shapes the early years curriculum, including spiritual and moral development. Ofsted graded early years provision Good at the inspection on 21 and 22 November 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Play gives learning its starting point. Children choose activities in resourced learning areas, while adults join their play to develop ideas and thinking. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together communication, physical and social development with early literacy, number work, exploration and creative activities. Outdoor learning supports solving problems and working together, extending the opportunities beyond the classroom.
Early reading begins with listening. Nursery children practise Phase 1 phonics by noticing differences between environmental and speech sounds. Books with pictures but no text invite them to invent their own stories, so storytelling does not depend on being able to decode words. Fine motor activities develop control for making marks and, later, using a pencil. In November 2023, early years language and listening development included songs, rhymes and conversations with adults.
Philosophy for Children (P4C) adds another kind of conversation. Nursery examples include discussing whether lying can be acceptable and imagining rain made of chocolate. These questions give children something concrete to consider and a reason to explain their thinking. Faith also has a physical focus: each classroom has a prayer table, and early years children learn prayers using songs and spoken words.
Class Dojo carries weekly nursery updates. Alongside these, the EYFS Learning Journey is shared each term and parents’ evenings provide a chance to discuss progress and next steps. Families therefore have both regular class news and scheduled conversations about their child’s learning.
For additional needs, the school’s SEND process starts with concerns raised by either parents or staff, followed by monitoring and assessment. Specialist referrals can involve the Speech and Language Team or Occupational Therapy, with parental permission. Individual education plans are reviewed with families each term. These are school-wide procedures that give nursery parents a route for discussing developmental concerns.
Zones of Regulation is used across the school to help children recognise feelings and practise ways to manage them. School-provided lunches are ordered ahead through iPayimpact, with the office helping families obtain access to the ordering system.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their entry year.
For the September 2026 intake, the school required an online Common Application Form through the family’s local authority, plus supplementary information and the relevant faith documentation sent to school. The deadline was 15 January 2026; this is a past admissions cycle.
Nursery and Reception staff coordinate their work to maintain continuity across early years. That educational connection is separate from the allocation of Reception places.
Morning sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am, and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Each pattern provides 15 weekly hours. The 30-hour pattern runs from 8:30am to 3pm Monday to Thursday, finishing at 12:30pm on Friday. Eligible families provide an entitlement code and reconfirm eligibility every three months.
Friday collection. The 30-hour pattern has an earlier Friday finish. A paid extension to 3pm is an option, so families should distinguish their funded pattern from additional booked time. Children with 15-hour entitlement can also take paid additional hours. Contact the school for current charges.
Nursery after-school care runs from 3pm to 4pm in the school hall with school staff, booked through the office half-termly in advance. Collect nursery children at their classroom door and notify the office beforehand if another adult will collect. Enquiries go to office@stcatherine.co.uk or 01895 442 839; school visits can be arranged through the office.
The nursery provision covers children aged three and four, with morning, afternoon and whole-day options.
The maximum is 24 children at any one time, combining half-day and whole-day placements.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process, with the deadline for the relevant entry year.
Yes. The nursery admissions page offers paid care from 3pm to 4pm in the school hall, run by school staff and booked with the office half-termly in advance.
Weekly nursery updates use Class Dojo. The EYFS Learning Journey is shared termly, and parents’ evenings also take place each term.
