St Albans Community Association

Junipers

At St Albans we aim to meet the needs of each individual child. St Albans pre-school is OFSTED registered and our latest inspection in October 2023 was deemed "Good".

All staff but one are all NVQ3 qualified and are able to communicate with the children and families in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and Bengali and English.

An Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) audit carried out in the Pre-school in May 2011 related to the environment and setting for children looks at seven areas. The national average score is 3.2. St Albans scored 5.7, which is between ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’. For a copy of the ECERS report please follow the link opposite.

The Pre-school Manager holds a foundation degree alongside her Early Years Teacher Status. All staff are paediatric first aid trained.

See the most recent OfSTED report here

Mini first aid sessions

Big Cook, Little Cook pancake making workshop

Small World Play – encouraging problem solving and working together

Space Theme – learning all about space

Timetable details

We have two sessions daily, five days a week, Monday to Friday, 9am to 12 noon and 12.30 to 3.30pm. We also provide a ‘wraparound’ cover for lunchtimes at varying prices. Please talk to staff for details. We provide healthy snacks of fresh fruit and milk or water.

Admission details

We admit children between the ages of two to four years old. Our prices are very competitive: three to four year-olds are charged £8.50 per session unless they are nursery grant funded. Nursery grant funding for three year olds, can be accessed in the term that follows your child’s third birthday.

If your child is only two years old they can still attend St Albans Pre-school, however places are limited. The cost is the same as for three to four year-olds: £8.50 per session and £1.95 for lunches.

If you would like to apply for financial aid to help you meet the cost of your two year-old attending St Albans, there is government funding available (ELT) further information can be found on Sandwell Council’s website.

Some 3 and 4 year old children may be eligible for 30 hours funding. To find out more, visit www.gov.uk or pop into the Preschool to find out more.

If you are interested in your child attending the pre-school or would simply like more information, please contact: Samantha Oakley, Pre-school Manager on 0121 558 0018 or simply come along to the centre in St Albans Road, or email Samantha via Pre-schoolmanager@stalbans-cc.co.uk

Contact us to find out more

    Curriculum

    Welcome to St Albans – A Place Where Your Child Feels Valued, Safe and Inspired

    At St Albans, we understand how quickly young children grow and learn—physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. That’s why we’re committed to providing high-quality care and education where every child feels included, secure, and valued.

    We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which supports development across seven key areas of learning:

    • Personal, Social and Emotional Development

    • Communication and Language

    • Physical Development

    • Literacy

    • Mathematics

    • Understanding the World

    • Expressive Arts and Design

    Our curriculum is thoughtfully planned to encourage exploration through play. We balance child-led activities with some adult-guided experiences to nurture curiosity and support individual development. Activities include messy play (like sand, water and dough), creative arts, outdoor games, role-play, early writing and number games, and quiet focus activities for older children.

    We work closely with parents and carers to build on each child’s strengths, not just focusing on what they can’t do yet. Children are regularly observed and their progress is recorded both in person (on their learning wall) and online (via our Baby Days platform), keeping you involved every step of the way.

    Above all, we believe learning should be fun—and that every child deserves the freedom to play, learn, and grow in their own unique way.

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