St John’s CofE Primary School, part of the Futura Learning Partnership SBN Capital Grant phase 1
At the time of application, the school had no preschool provision but had been looking at ways to create a new preschool class within an existing space. The preschool class operates during term-time only, with full-day sessions and a half day on a Wednesday, for those families in receipt of 15 hours funding. We provide both 15- and 30-hour funded places, offering additional paid hours, where sessions are available.
Why we chose to expand
In recent years, the local area has seen a rise in families moving into the area, via new housing. As such, there has been a growing demand for spaces, exacerbated by the new, very welcome additional funded hours, for working parents. Parents at the school have frequently requested a preschool, so when the School-based Nursery Capital Grant became available, we were keen to apply. Neighbouring provision was over-subscribed and not close enough to the school to make the drop-off and collection of multiple children logistically easy for parents. Following discussions with the local authority, the diocese and via our consultation, we were confident new places would be filled.
Project planning and set-up
Working closely with our professional services team, we defined the scope of build works and used Mace to run our tender, contractor selection and build works. This was overseen by our central projects and estates colleagues.
Workstreams were developed, split into staff recruitment and training, furniture and resources ordering, build works, marketing and admissions and statutory paperwork and administrative set-up. Much of this work was delivered, or supported by, the trust, drawing on past experience. The early years foundation stage (EYFS) team at the local authority were also instrumental in ensuring training and support for funding mechanisms and portals were in place.
It is imperative to contact your local authority team as soon as possible to initiate paperwork and portals. Access needs to be granted and staff need to be trained. If you do not already run a preschool setting, the systems and processes for funding are very different and can feel daunting.
In the design stage, we carefully considered not just how the space should be used for teaching, but also how it should flow for pupil movement between sessions, fire evacuations, lockdown and safeguarding. We spent a lot of time discussing fence lines and access.
Sometimes these priorities can feel at odds, so consult with colleagues from different teams to ensure you have the design right. This will avoid scope creep, additional costs and delays to build delivery.
We recommend ordering furniture sooner than later. This may incur costs or logistical issues with storage, but do not underestimate how long items can take to arrive.
Marketing and enrolment
Marketing was via existing parents, a wait list of interested enquiries and by social media. Having opened a new primary in the area, our data collected from enquiries showed this was the most effective form of advertising (above paid for adverts or leafleting).
Marketing was phased to allow for new children and staff to settle in before we reached capacity, and we have a big marketing push (a video advert to go on the website and social media) underway since our grand opening event in December 2025. Signage has been used to ensure the new space is visible to visitors, too.
Other advice
Ongoing finances
Consider the viability of your offer carefully before committing. Consistency of provision and staffing is key to doing a great job and any new provision should be a secure, long-term option for families, staff and the school.
Project finances
If you do not have staff with the skills or capacity to manage the tender and project delivery, seek help. A large-scale project can generate a large amount of paperwork and changes to the plan are common. Having someone monitoring, questioning and documenting this will reduce scope creep, so you are not left with items to pay for after completion.
Recruitment and training
Even with a solid, proven curriculum, the right staff are essential. Take time to get your person specifications right, recruit early (if possible), so you have time to make the right decision, and factor in a comprehensive induction.
