Proposal of lowering our admission age

Dewhurst St Mary CE Primary School is consulting to understand if there is demand locally to open a school-based nursery to support the local area. The school’s vision is to ensure that the nursery supports the local area and offers high-quality early education delivered by experienced and well-trained staff. If the school was to proceed, the school will need to lower the age range of from 4-11 years to 3-11 years of age with effect from September 2026.
 

Background

This consideration arose following the Government’s commitment to expanding school-based nurseries and building capacity into the early-years education sector by using existing school buildings.
 

Dewhurst St Mary CE Primary School is currently a one-form entry primary school with a Good Ofsted rating (March 2023) and has identified space which could accommodate a school-based nursery provision for up to 26 children, during term time only.
 

Benefits that this provision can offer the pupils and parents of Dewhurst St Mary Primary School and the community include:
 

• A multi-purpose, permanent learning environment to develop and support all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.
• A qualified Early Years teacher who will work closely with Nursery Practitioners within the nursery.
• The school will be able to offer a qualified SENCO with expertise to support the children within this provision e.g. early identification of need, intervention programmes and family support programmes
• Easy and full access to the school site e.g. hall, school field, ICT suite, library area, exciting outside play areas.
• Opportunities to extend the family and community ethos of the school including through older children building relationships with the younger children to aid transition into school.

Research and experience show that nursery provision integrated within a school setting has positive outcomes.