Nursery Education
At Ripon Cathedral School, we are committed to providing a high quality Early Years education, which gives children a secure and confident start, and nurtures a lifelong love of learning. This journey starts for our children in Nursery where they are nurtured and cared for as individuals and are given the chance to grow and develop at their own pace. Children can start in our Nursery the term after they have turned three years old (dependant on place availability).
We provide an attractive, challenging learning environment which offers high quality opportunities for the children to learn through play, both indoors and outdoors. We place great emphasis on learning through first-hand experiences and offer a wide range of imaginative activities. Children enjoy:
- creative construction
- forest schools
- water play
- gardening
- a first taste of Spanish
- baking
- links with the Cathedral
- and much more
We would love to welcome you into our school so you can see for yourself the stimulating and caring environment we offer.
The early years environment is an exciting place to be. Children explore and challenge themselves indoors and out. Staff skilfully model and support language development. As a result, children thrive and achieve well across all areas of learning. Ofsted February 2025
Our Nursery offers parents flexibility with funded morning and afternoon sessions.
Care is provided (under funded sessions) over lunchtime, with a choice of paying for a hot school meal or providing a packed lunch.
Nursery children may also attend our wraparound care 'Oscar's'. This is not included in universal or extended funded hours and is chargeable.
To apply for a place or for more information please call 01765 602355 or email admin@riponcathedral.n-yorks.sch.uk.
All admissions are dealt with according to our Nursery Admissions and Charging Policy 2025-26.
(For admissions from September 2026 please see here)
Please look below the Vision document for a breakdown in how your funded entitlement will work and any charges which may be made.
Early Years Vision
As a school we have put together our vision for the Early Years so that children have a great start at Cathedral School and aspire, flourish and love. Click on the picture below to find out more.
Nursery Fees
- Children may attend Nursery between 8.45am and 3.15pm under their 15hpw universal funding or 30hpw extended funding entitlement.
- Funding is used term time only and cannot be stretched over a calendar year.
- If children attend sessions above their 15 or 30 hour per week funded entitlement, payment is made on ParentPay (login details sent to parents when their child starts Nursery).
- Tax free childcare vouchers are accepted and details on how to use them are sent to parents when their child starts Nursery.
- Invoices are sent home termly. These make clear the sessions which are funded on the top section.
- On the second section of the invoice, the amounts payable for sessions taken above funded hours are set out.
- Fees for the 2025-26 school year are chargeable at £6 per hour.
- Fees for the 2026-27 school year are chargeable at £6.30 per hour.
- All snacks are provided free of charge.
- If a child attends over lunchtime, parents may send in a packed lunch.
- Children may also have a school meal but this is voluntary/optional (2025-26 school year £2.55 per nursery meal, payable on ParentPay, TFC not accepted).
- If a child requires nappies or other consumables, parents must provide them.