What makes us unique?

Maintained nurseries are unique in the childcare provision and unique to England. There are currently 392 Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) in the country. Maintained nurseries are funded by the local authority. They were set up over 100 years ago to support young children and their families, in deprived areas.  The core aims were to provide support, education and childcare for all.  Many of the original principles of these early nurseries still guide MNS core values today, for example outdoor learning, holistic approach to child development –ensuring children’s wellbeing is considered alongside their educational development.

Maintained nursery have to have a headteacher, governing body, delegated budget, and at least one teacher with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator), with QTS.  Staff, including the headteacher specialise in the Early Years to ensure a play-based age appropriate curriculum.  This enables MNS to be centre of excellence and to spread best practice in different areas.

As a maintained nursery we operate a school day 8.30am to 3.30pm and are term time only.  Our building was purpose built for children aged between 2 and 4 years old.  We have a large outdoor area, including a sand pit and a bike track to ensure children make the best purpose

We are registered with the Department for Education and are inspected under the school’s Ofsted framework.

What is Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)?

Teachers who work in maintained schools must have ‘Qualified Teacher Status’ as a legal requirement.  After completing teacher training in England, teachers must complete a two year induction in a school to confirm that they have met the governments Teaching Standards.

The Governing Body

As a maintained nursery we have a governing body.  The role of the governing body is to ensure we sustain high standards in teaching and learning with effective leadership.  The governing body is made up of co-opted, local authority and parent governors.  Click here to see our governors.