Nursery Sessions at St Chris: Tailored Learning, Flexibility, and Holistic Growth

Shape of the Day 

Morning Care (from 8.00am)

Pupils can arrive from 8.00am and settle into the classroom with familiar adults and quiet activities before the school day begins. Wraparound care is available in the form of a Breakfast Club from 7.30am to support families who require extended hours. 

Start of the School Day (8.30am)

The day begins together with registration and a welcoming start that helps pupils feel ready for learning.

Adult-Led Learning Sessions

The school day includes focused teaching by our specialist Early Years teacher in phonics, early reading, writing and mathematics, alongside topic-based learning drawn from the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Teaching takes place through a combination of whole-class teaching and small-group work so that learning is matched carefully to each pupil’s stage of development. Students are supported by the teacher and our Early Years Educators to ensure they are individually supported to develop and meet their learning potential. 

Child-Initiated Learning and Outdoor Exploration

Throughout the day, pupils spend extended periods in child-initiated learning, choosing activities across indoor and outdoor environments. This supports independence, collaboration and sustained concentration.

Specialist Sessions

Across the week, students enjoy creative activities, storytelling, physical development and outdoor learning, alongside specialist teaching such as swimming, Forest School, music and French.

Lunch and shared time together

Pupils eat a healthy vegetarian lunch together within the Early Years setting before enjoying time to play and reset for the afternoon. All food is cooked and prepared by our in house team and follows all government guidance in relation to Early Years nutrition. Throughout the school day, we provide healthy snacks for students in Early Years to ensure that they are well-fuelled to dive into all the activiites on offer. 

End of the school day (3.30pm)

The day finishes at 3.30pm, with after-school provision available until 4.30pm included within fees. Additional Wraparound Care is available until 6.30pm Monday to Friday to support an extended day. 

---

Learning Across the Week 

A Balance of Structure and Discovery

While each day has a familiar structure, no two days look exactly the same.

Across the week, pupils take part in:

• daily phonics and early literacy learning
• practical mathematics
• topic-based exploration
• creative and imaginative play
• outdoor learning in the Early Years garden
• Forest School sessions
• swimming lessons
• music and French with specialist teachers

This variety supports both confidence and curiosity while helping pupils develop strong foundations for Year 1.

Find out more about the Early Years Curriculum