Welcome To
Holy Cross Pre-School
‘Working closely with local families & schools to provide & promote quality Childcare’
Where we came from:
Holy Cross Pre-school is situated in the grounds of Holy Cross Catholic Primary Academy School off Southern Way in Tracyes Road, Harlow, opposite the new Passmores Academy School.
You can access the premises by walking along the path situated between Holy Cross Church and the Parish Hall. As you proceed through the small gates and approach the main school gates, you will see the main entrance to the Primary school straight in front of you; directly to the LEFT you will see our Pre-school.
Our Pre-school has evolved over the years with its beginnings for me in 1992 in a classroom in the main school (which is now the reception class).
The Pre-school has in my time always been very popular and over subscribed, which has a knock on effect to the primary school. We both grew, and in September 1998 the school needed to expand and use all available classes; and so I moved the Pre-school down into the church hall, also expanding and taking more children through the Pre-school each term.
We had great fun in the hall with such a large amount of space sectioned off by use of colourful posts and fabric dividers and display boards, keeping a sense of perspective and learning areas.
In November 2004 we moved into our new purpose built Nursery Building as a result of winning a bid for a piece of government grant money set aside for child services; some to be used for 3 year olds and some for neighbourhood nurseries. We were very fortunate to win the bid over many groups who had applied throughout Essex County.
It was an exciting time for us all to have the opportunity to work hand in hand with Miss S McGuiggan, the Head Teacher at Holy Cross Catholic Primary Academy School, who enthusiastically supported our bid and worked with the Diocese to enable the school land to be used to house our building.
It was the first time I have been involved in a ‘New Build’, and enjoyed very much seeing the Nursery grow from the architects drawings to what you see before you today.. Our new home, permanent, beautiful, friendly and a place for children and their families to grow in confidence, esteem, learning and in a happy, warm and welcoming environment.
The Nursery has enabled us to once again increase our child ‘intake’, receiving double the amount of 3 – 4 year olds as we have been able to before. [We still have limited places for under 3’s]
We have a superb relationship with Holy Cross Catholic Primary Academy School, who receive children from us into their reception class each September, although some of our children also move on to other local Harlow schools, including Pear Tree Mead, Purford Green, Church Langley, William Martin, St Luke’s and St Albans to name but a few.
We are all very proud of our achievements, which cumulated in 2005 when we won our Investors In People Award, which shows the dedication of all of the staff and volunteers. We also love to see and hear how the many children who have passed through our doors have grown and matured, some of them now parents themselves.