Early Years

At St Mary’s, we aim to ensure that every child feels happy, safe, and secure from their very first day. We want each child to begin their learning journey with us feeling supported, encouraged, and inspired. As reflected in our school vision, we nurture each child’s sense of wonder about the world and help them begin to discover their unique place within it. Just like the mustard seed that grows into a mighty tree, we believe that every child holds the potential to flourish. Through love, justice, and gratitude, we encourage children to become curious, courageous, and compassionate individuals, ready to explore and grow in the world God created.

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to age five. Whether in nursery (F1) or reception (F2), we build on each child’s unique experiences from home, nursery, and pre-school settings, laying secure foundations for future learning.

The EYFS framework is centred around seven areas of learning and development, which are all interconnected and equally important:

Prime Areas

These are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships, and thrive.

Communication and Language – developing listening, attention, understanding, and spoken language through high-quality interactions and a language-rich environment.
Physical Development – promoting gross and fine motor skills, coordination, and healthy choices in movement, diet, and self-care.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development – supporting children to build positive relationships, develop self-confidence, and understand and manage their emotions.

Specific Areas

These strengthen and apply the prime areas and help children broaden their knowledge and skills.

Literacy – fostering a love of reading and writing through phonics, storytelling, and opportunities to mark-make and explore written language.
Mathematics – developing early number sense, pattern, shape, space, and measures through playful, practical experiences.
Understanding the World – encouraging curiosity about the world, people, places, communities, and technology.
Expressive Arts and Design – enabling children to explore and express their creativity through music, dance, role play, art, and imaginative play.

At St Mary’s, we consider each child’s individual needs, interests, and stage of development. We plan challenging and enjoyable experiences across all areas of learning and development. Each area is delivered through planned, purposeful play, using a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Play is essential to children’s development, it helps them build confidence as they explore, solve problems, and relate to others. Our practitioners support each child’s growth through caring, positive interactions, responding to their emerging needs and interests.

Admission to our Foundation Stage 1 (nursery) Provision

Register your interest for an early years place here:

What we offer:

We offer 15 hours funded places for all 3 and 4 year olds for all families. All 3 and 4 year old children are entitled to the funding and your child can start from the term after their 3rd birthday

This applies until they reach compulsory school age (the term following their fifth birthday.

Some children are eligible for 30 hours of funded provision. Visit Childcare Choices to find out if you are eligible.

When can my child start?

A child who is 3 in:	Can start Foundation 1 from:
Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec	January
Jan/Feb/March	April
April/May/June/July/August	September

15 hours entitlement at St Mary's

We offer all 3 and 4 year olds 15 hours per week. These are available Monday to Friday either:

Morning Sessions 8.45am - 11.45am, or

Afternoon Sessions 12:30pm – 3:30pm.

This is dependent on places available at the time of admission.

30 hours entitlement at St Mary's

Funded sessions are offered as the morning and afternoon sessions above with an option for parents/carers to either collect their child over the lunch break or to pay for the wrap-around care at £4 per session. (These are paid using the School Money app)

Where this arrangement is not suitable, parents can opt to reduce their sessions by one morning or afternoon slot to condense their 30 hours. You can indicate this on the form provided above.

Please Note:

Selection of the 30 hours will be made for a full term, if parents would like to change this arrangement this can only be requested termly.
Parents are responsible for ensuring the code is up to date and provided to school before each term at school.

Admission Procedure to Foundation 1

1. Complete an Application Form, available from the School Office or on our website. There is no earliest date this can be completed, we are able to take application forms from birth.

2. You will receive a reply confirming we have received your form and your child is now on the waiting list. Please contact the School Office if your contact details change.

3. Your next point of contact will be when the places have been allocated; we follow the timeline for the first admissions.

4. Our Early Years staff will get in touch with the parents during the term before your child is due to start with regards to arranging settling in sessions and a start date ready for the following term.

St Mary's Church of England Primary School