A MAGICAL START TO LEARNING, LED BY NATURE, PLAY AND EXPERTISE
Our Early Years provision begins in a purpose-built nursery designed to provide a calm, welcoming and stimulating first experience of school and extends into Reception with two classes housed across three thoughtfully arranged classrooms. We create an environment where every child is known, nurtured and given the space to grow. The setting has been carefully developed to support exploration, independence and early language development from day one. Natural light, purposeful layout and a seamless indoor-outdoor flow make our Nursery and Reception the perfect foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
A dedicated Forest School programme is at the heart of our Early Years offer, giving children regular opportunities to explore nature, take managed risks and build resilience. Our expansive outdoor classroom is used daily - whatever the weather - providing rich opportunities for storytelling, science, imaginative play and physical development. Here, children dig, build, climb, question and collaborate in a space designed to fuel curiosity and confidence. The result is a joyful, active learning experience that helps children develop not just academically, but socially and emotionally too.
Everything we do in Early Years is grounded in high expectations and deep understanding of how young children learn. Our experienced team ensures that every moment - from snack time to story time - is used to develop language, critical thinking and creativity. Children are supported to become independent, reflective and kind learners, ready to thrive in Reception and beyond. From their very first day at Ravenstone, children are immersed in an environment that celebrates play, fosters inquiry and builds the skills they will carry with them throughout their education.
For more information on how we teach in the Early Years, follow the link below:
NURSERY ADMISSION CRITERIA
Children are allocated a place in our Nursery, after they have turned three, in accordance with the following criteria:
- Siblings in the school
- Distance from the school
- A commitment to applying for our Reception once school age is reached
We know that early intervention is vital and because of this we hope that any child in our Nursery will transfer into our Reception and experience a full education at Ravenstone from the age of 3 to 11 as this will provide them with the best possible start in life.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Children are admitted to our Nursery in the September, January or April following their third birthday.
Refer to our Admissions Policy for full details of the application process.
To apply for a place in the Nursery, please complete our online form on the link below:
You are encouraged to apply before the following dates:
- October 31st to join us in January
- February 28th to join us in April
- March 31st to join us in September
Once we have received your application form you will receive an email confirming its receipt. We will then be in contact again once we start the enrolment process. Prior to starting, families are expected to attend a welcome meeting and a separate stay and play session.
As part of the process, we will share our up to date new starter booklet:
A settling-in process will apply for your child's first days with us - this will see the length of their sessions increasing steadily over several days.
15 AND 30 HOUR PLACES
All 3 and 4 year olds in England are entitled to 15 hours free childcare each week. We offer this through morning sessions from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and afternoon sessions from 12:00 pm to 15:00 pm.
