Welcome to Nursery, where learning comes to life
Meet Lionel, our St. Martin’s bear, who symbolises the warmth, joy and adventure your son will experience on their journey through school. In Nursery we are committed to providing a foundation that sets each boy on a path to a bright and promising future at St. Martin’s.
Our expansive Nursery unit, complete with attached outdoor spaces, serves as a vibrant hub for exploration and learning. This is where the journey begins!
As advocates for holistic education, we believe in nurturing not only academic excellence but also the overall well-being of our boys. A happy and nurtured child is better equipped to navigate the challenges of early education and beyond. Our dedicated team are committed to creating a positive and supportive atmosphere that encourages fun, curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning. Our weekly cooking sessions are a highlight!
Our child centred approach is at the core of our educational philosophy. We acknowledge that each child is unique, embarking on their individual journey of growth and learning. By adopting a child-centred perspective, we not only foster academic growth but also nurture their overall development, ensuring a well-rounded education that prepares them for success. All our boys are “better prepared” for life beyond St. Martin’s.
We prioritise phonics and our structured and engaging phonics program equips our boys with the skills needed to read and write effectively by the end of Nursery. We take pride in our maths mastery approach, combing theoretical work with hands-on, practical experiences. Our goal is to make maths enjoyable and relatable for the boys. A key strength of our program also lies in our emphasis on fine motor skills. We recognise the pivotal role these skills play in shaping a child’s abilities, particularly in areas like writing, cutting and the manipulation of objects. The Early Years curriculum is further enhanced with dedicated weekly lessons in, Music and Drama, French, PE, and Swimming lessons delivered by specialist teachers.
The journey continues
Better prepared for the journey ahead. St Martin’s begins in Pre-Prep, which includes our Early Years (Nursery and Reception) and Years 1 and 2. We believe happiness is an essential foundation for success and our goal is to create well-rounded, respectful individuals, who are kind and love to learn.
At St Martin’s, we believe that each child deserves a well-rounded education. Our curriculum design, value-centred approach, and outstanding facilities provide a unique learning experience for our students. We aim to challenge and inspire our boys with broad, balanced, rigorous and creative opportunities.
Our students receive specialist teaching in Music, IT, PE, and languages, and swim once a week in our onsite pool, specifically designed for both developing and advanced swimmers. Our classrooms are close to a spacious nature reserve, allowing our boys to enjoy and appreciate nature and wildlife. We strive to create safe, nurturing, creative environments where students can become independent learners, and feel inspired, challenged, and motivated.
Strong emphasis is placed on developing Learning Behaviours and SMART qualities in every lesson. These essential modern qualities better prepare our students for their educational journey and provide them with the skills and attributes needed to succeed in the future.
Well-being is a mutually inclusive pillar to academics for our students to achieve success. Class sizes are intentionally small, each benefiting from a class teacher and a teaching assistant. Allowing our staff to nurture and challenge students ensuring they feel safe and secure at school.
Manners are central to a boy’s development, and we teach them how to adapt their behaviours to hold themselves positively and respectfully. Respect, kindness, and tolerance are the values that shine through in the interactions amongst our boys. These values are evident in the positive interactions that occur daily.
Assemblies bring our boys and staff together three times a week. On Wednesdays, we celebrate boys’ efforts, manners, and hard work during a special celebration assembly.
Parental support is a priority, as we understand that starting school can be an overwhelming time. Parents can meet with the class teacher in the mornings or communicate over Microsoft Teams. We publish termly reports and hold termly 1-1 consultations. Regular communication is offered to keep parents well-informed about their son’s learning and progress.
We believe that learning should expand beyond the classroom. Every term, all boys, including our youngest nursery children, head out on a school trip, which is an exciting highlight for them. These trips are designed to embed their learning and provide our students with an opportunity to explore and discover new things.
