Advice from those living in Newbury

[OneMauveMaker]

Hello,

We are considering a move to Newbury (from Norwich) in the next couple of years. We would like to be there in time to secure a primary school place for my daughter (about to turn 2) before she starts school, so I anticipate we'd need to have moved in by January 2027 at the latest (she will start school in September of that year).

I'm wondering if anyone can recommend any nurseries in the area and advise as to whether any would take her mid way through a year? Do any of the primaries have pre schools attached?

Area-wise, we will be prioritising being in catchment for St Barts.

Thanks!

St John’s infant school which is in the St Bart’s Catchment has a nursery and they are one of the three partner primaries that have admission priorities. I don’t think the other two do. The St Bart’s catchment is a bit of a funny one as Enbourne Primary is a partner school and encompasses several villages so meaning the in town catchment is very small. I would also consider that all the Newbury secondaries have different strengths and your DC might suit a different school. So I would think about primary schools now for location and then if necessary move for secondary.
Private nurseries regularly have places come up as people into and out of the area. There are also quite a few preschools to choose from.

Another vote for St John's here (our DGS went there). St John's (infants) and its sister school St Nicolas (juniors) are feeder schools for St Barts.

Our DCs went to Victoria Park nursery - but that was a good while ago so I can't say what it's like now - then via St John's and St Nic's to St Barts.

As far as I am aware, both St John's and Victoria Park will take children mid-year (spaces permitting).

There are a number of other nurseries in town.

Sorry slow to spot this thread. Lot of nurseries in central newbury (Newbury gardens, Victoria park nursery school. Many of the primaries have nursery schools,some mornings only, some longer days. Primaries good generally. If you want to aim long term for st Bart's then catchment for that is the driver. That puts you in west fields/central and out up Andover road/Elizabeth Ave and around chandos road area. Nearest primaries for that are John Rankin (nearest to at Bart's) then st Nicolas (there you have separate infant (st Johns) and junior which are separately run and a decent distance apart. You might also pick high wood copse (further up out on a339) depending on where you end up living. St Johns has a nursery class (but little outside space - same for st Nick's as right by the railway and in town) John Rankin has a nursery school (it's a federation of nursery, infant and junior on one site) not sure about others.