Caterpillars Nursery at St John’s offer a unique nursery setting for your child. Based on the main school site, our nursery benefits from being part of the wider school community. Our nursery is led by the Assistant Head for Early Years and Key Stage 1, and children are taught by qualified teachers.
“The quality of teaching in the Nursery is a strength of the school.” Ofsted, 2018
For children who were 3 years old before 31st August, they would be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare from September.
If your child turns 3 after 1st September, they would be eligible for 15hrs of funded childcare from January. It is possible for parents to pay for sessions if you wish for your child to start at nursery once they are 3 years old, but before their funded hours.
Please contact the school office for more information and an application form if you are interested in joining our waiting list.
We offer two packages for you to use all or part of your 15 hours free entitlement (3-4 year olds) with us.
Package One: Monday & Tuesday 8:30-3:00 and Wednesday 8:30-11:30 or
Package Two: Wednesday 12:00-3:00 and Thursday 8:30 – 3:00 and Friday 8:30 – 3.00
If available, further sessions can be purchased at a cost of £16.50 per session (3 hours). We also have limited spaces for two year olds (mornings only, 8:30-11:30) and places for those families receiving 30 hours entitlement to childcare. To find out if you are eligible for a ‘Free for 2” place or for 30 hours of funded childcare, please click here and complete the relevant form.
On the days your child stays for a full day, they will receive 30 minutes lunchtime free of charge! You can either provide a packed lunch for your child, or pay for a delicious hot meal and pudding prepared by the school kitchen.
Your child, when gaining a place with us, will be assigned their own key worker who will meet you to find out all about them and share any information you will need to start your journey in Caterpillars Nursery. You will then be offered a settle session and can begin into your chosen hours at a pace that suits your child.
“Key workers in the Nursery quickly develop warm and caring relationships with the children.” Ofsted, 2018
At Caterpillars Nursery the children are offered a wide range of exciting learning opportunities based upon their interests and ideas. The children are able to learn both indoors and outside as they have free flow between the two areas. In both our nursery and reception classes, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance, which focuses on seven areas of learning and development:
- Communication and Language
- Personal, Social & Emotional Development
- Physical Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding of the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
We believe that children learn best when they are having fun, and our nursery environment and daily timetable is set up to allow lots of time for play. Our experienced staff team plan for next steps in each child’s development, ensuring that all children are able to make progress and develop key skills.
Each term we enjoy Forest School activities with our trained Forest School lead, which allow us to learn in a natural environment. We love going on wellington walks to explore the school field and nature area. We link these experiences to our current learning, for example, following maps and digging for treasure as pirates or building houses of different materials like the Three Little Pigs. These sessions are often finished with songs around a camp fire and a delicious cup of hot chocolate!
Making sure your child is school ready is highly important to us and we make sure that we offer your child a transition that makes their journey to school as smooth as possible.
"Children who had recently progressed from Nursery to Reception were particularly composed and focused on their activities. Parents value how well their children are supported during their introduction to the school." Ofsted 2018
If you are interested in applying for a place at our nursery, please phone the school office on 01227 462360, or visit the school to complete an admissions form.