Arrange a visit to the Kindergarten

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum continues in our Prep (Reception) Class and academic excellence is seen across the school. We were so proud when The Sunday Times ranked St Mary’s Lower School the 12th highest performing Prep School in England. Our pupils perform at well above the national average in maths, spelling and grammar, reading and writing. We also have a high 11+ pass rate for those who choose to sit the exam.

The National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) has recently reaccredited the Lower School with the NACE Challange Award. This award is given in recognition of commitment to high-quality provision for more able learners within the context of challenge for all.

We believe in providing a well-rounded experience. Children take part in a range of activities such as PE, Forest School, music, ballet, French, cooking and outdoor learning. All activities are included in the fees.

Children have the opportunity to go on trips, such as to the local church. They also take part in events including the Kindergarten and Infant Sports Day, Nativity performance, Prize Giving, Remembrance Day service and Mothering Sunday service.

We also hold a number of events for the whole family of those at St Mary’s to enjoy. These include Fireworks night, our Summer Fete and outdoor theatre production.

Our purpose-built Kindergarten has an enclosed outdoor multi-sensory play area. It is the perfect place for young children to thrive in a safe environment. There is also a specially designed outdoor learning area for the Kindergarten children to use.

Additionally, Kindergarten children have access to all the Lower School facilities. For example, the Kindergarten children use the Library, Forest School area, outdoor classroom, Dance Studio, School Hall, playing fields and sports courts, all set on nine acres of land. This introduction to St Mary’s school life helps provide a smooth transition to school.

At St Mary’s, we’re able to achieve such success by tailoring the education to suit the needs of each individual in our small classes. We also give pupils the encouragement and support they need to aim high.

From September, we will be introducing smaller class sizes in our Kindergarten for classroom-based learning, to further enable us to tailor the education to suit the needs of each individual. Children will still come together for activities such as Forest School, PE, and playtime, to facilitate greater social interaction.

Our Kindergarten is open 51 weeks of the year, providing continuity for the children and enabling their learning to continue across the year. We have a small number of term-time only places available, reserved for children with siblings at the school. Our core day is 8.30am-3.30pm and we have different wrap around options, starting at 7.30am and running until 6pm. Regular wrap-around sessions can be booked as well as ad-hoc sessions, subject to availability.

Our Kindergarten is very popular and places can fill up over a year in advance. We would therefore recommend getting in touch as early as possible to enquire about availability. Please contact our Registrar on 01206 594256 or at registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk

2024/25

MAIN KINDERGARTEN SESSIONS

* A booking of five Core Days per week attracts a reduction in the Core Day fee. Please ask for further details.

** a minimum of 48 hours’ notice is required.

At St Mary’s Kindergarten you can currently receive funding for up to 15 hours of childcare a week, which is based on 38 weeks childcare. For those taking year-round childcare this will be stretched across 51 weeks. From September we will accept 30 hours for those who are eligible.

St Mary’s continues to deal with all approved providers of Childcare Vouchers for existing Scheme members and we are able to accept payment via the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare Scheme.