To ensure every child feels at home from day one, we invite our new joiners to at least three dedicated settling-in sessions. These visits are a wonderful opportunity for your child to bond with our nursery teachers and become familiar with their new surroundings. Parents can stay for the first session to gain a deeper understanding of our ethos and practice, before children transition to being fully in our care for subsequent visits.
Children are accepted into Pre-Nursery as soon as they are two years old and are expected to attend a minimum of three sessions per week. Nursery children are accepted in September following their third birthday, and are required to attend a minimum of five sessions per week. Sessions can be a combination of full days or individual morning and afternoon sessions. Full days are 8.30am – 3.30pm, morning sessions are from 8:30 am – 1.00 pm (including lunch) and afternoon sessions are 1.00pm – 3.30pm. Extended care starts at 7.30am (including breakfast) and finishes at 6.00pm (including a hot supper).
We accept government funding and offer term-time and all year round provision for your little one. Please speak to our admissions team to find out more details or review our Nursery FAQs.
Building on all that they have learnt during their time in Nursery, children make excellent progress in Reception across all aspects of their learning and development and achieve well above the national average by the end of the year. Children who have not been through Nursery at St Michael’s may start in Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. They soon settle and very quickly make new friends.
All Reception children attend for the whole day from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Unlock a world of wonder from age two. Our Pre-Nursery is the perfect bridge to your child’s formal schooling, offering a calm yet stimulating environment where curiosity leads the way.
Tailored Growth: We focus on the milestones that matter most at age two: Social confidence, language skills, and physical coordination.
Expertly Designed Spaces: From our dedicated, age-appropriate indoor suite to our expansive outdoor play zones, the environment adapts to the child – not the other way around.
Enriched Learning: Our bespoke enrichment timetable ensures that every child’s individual stage of development is celebrated and supported through the EYFS framework.”
Our Nursery is more than just a classroom; it is a launchpad for lifelong learners. We understand that these first steps are a milestone for the whole family. Our expert team works in close partnership with you to ensure your child feels secure, celebrated, and confident from day one.
At this age, play is the engine of discovery. We masterfully blend child-initiated exploration with expert-led activities, both indoors and out. This balance ensures that while children are having fun, they are also building a robust foundation of knowledge and skills tailored to their unique pace.
We believe in early exposure to a world of possibilities. Our bespoke Enrichment Timetable introduces specialist teaching into the daily routine, sparking curiosity through:
French & Communication: Opening doors to new languages.
Music & Drama: Encouraging creative expression and confidence.
Physical Education: Developing coordination and healthy habits.
While our Nursery offers a nurturing “small-scale” feel, we are proud to be an integral part of the wider school. By participating in whole-school events, our children gain a sense of belonging and a “big school” perspective from the very start.
The Result? When the time comes to move on either continuing in St Michael’s or to another school, our children don’t just transition – they soar. They leave us as enthusiastic, independent learners, fully prepared and eager for the next chapter of their educational journey.
The Reception base at St Michael’s is a vibrant, high-energy hub where “busy” means deeply engaged. It is a space designed for children who are ready to turn their natural curiosity into academic confidence.
We believe that the best learning happens when children are supported by the best educators. Following our successful Nursery model, our Reception cohort benefits from a team of four dedicated professionals:
The Head of Pre-Prep and Foundation Stage
Three Expert Early Years Educators (EYEs)
This high ratio ensures that every child is seen, heard, and challenged within a happy, inspiring environment.
While our children thrive as one social cohort in our bright, spacious base, we use a targeted “Small Group” approach for core academic subjects. This allows for personalised attention during:
Phonics & Literacy: Daily, high-impact sessions that turn letter recognition into the joy of reading and writing.
Mathematical Mastery: Practical, real-world problem-solving that makes numbers make sense.
Specialist Discovery: Dedicated sessions for French, Drama, Music, PE, and Library time.
Learning isn’t confined to a desk. Outside of structured groups, children enjoy “Free-Flow” access to our indoor and outdoor landscapes. This vital time allows them to:
Immerse themselves in self-directed play.
Complete focused, adult-led challenges.
Enjoy 1-on-1 reading time with a teacher.
Risk-Taking: Learning to safely test their own limits in the outdoor “free-flow” area.
The Result? A child who is not only “ready for school” but is already leading their own learning journey with enthusiasm and independence.
Come and see for yourself
Book a personal visit or register for one of our open days
Visit our school so you can see for yourselves the class sizes, the dedication and commitment of our staff, the range of facilities and resources available to enhance your child’s learning, meet our pupils and confidently make the right decision for your child.
“Just a note to say thank you to St Michael's for our son's 8 years at the school. He's enjoyed every second of it and has fully embraced all the opportunities the school has to offer. I'm sure his time at the school will stand him in excellent stead for secondary school. As an additional mention, I wanted to let you know how wonderful Mrs Matthews has been for our daughter in Year 4. We've always felt that the teaching has been very good at the school but Mrs Matthews seems to be on a whole other level! Her communication, feedback and encouragement has been excellent. She has clearly spent time really getting to understand the children and our daughter's confidence and ability has come on in leaps and bounds. We cannot thank her enough! ”
- Former Parent
“After a lengthy search in West Oxfordshire at numerous other private schools, I found none of them were a patch on St Michael's. They had huge grounds, impressive sporting and drama facilities, however the special family/nurturing feel we've always loved about St Michael's just wasn't there at all. I decided that if we couldn't find a school which measured up to St Michael's, then there was little point in moving, so we stopped the house move and are remaining where we are.”
- Parent
“During my time at St Michael's, not only did I really enjoy it, I found that I wasn’t scared to move on and I felt prepared and ready for senior school. I now realise just how much the school gave me and at Senior School, I have found topics that I had already covered or had been hinted to in the lessons at St Michael’s. So I really thank the school and feel grateful for the preparation that I had and now use. ”
- Former Pupil
“As a former pupil, St. Michael's was the obvious choice. Their values and school ethos have remained the same and Sophia has become a confident, caring and hardworking individual. ”
- Former Parent and Pupil
“Just wanted to say a big Thank You to all staff and teachers over the last few months. As a full time working Mum I don't know what I would have done without the structure provided each day.”
- Parent
“..thriving, secure, ‘family feel’ environment where children are positively nurtured as individuals and able to reach their own potential.”
- Parent
“St. Michael's is a wonderful school. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a safe haven for their child to grow, learn to be well rounded individuals with the love of God in their hearts and love for all human beings as well as develop academically putting them in a good position ready for the next level of education.”
- Former Parent
“St. Michael's has been on our radar for the last few years following on from various positive conversations with different people about the school, your results and the general atmosphere and approach. With our daughter now turning two, we felt it was a good time to start enquiring and visiting the school. We're so glad we did!”
- Prospective Parent
