Shernhall Pre-School

Parent involvement gives Shernhall Pre-School its character: this Walthamstow charity is run by a committee of parents and volunteers, and its offer now includes babies as well as children preparing to move on to school. The minimum starting age became nine months in January 2026. That is a significant change for families considering care for younger children.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 8 February 2023, when the children attending were aged two to four. The judgement therefore predates the baby provision. Shernhall has 96 places in total.

Morning, afternoon, short-day and all-day attendance run during term time. The practical appeal is the choice between shorter sessions and a longer day, with Lunch Club connecting the morning and afternoon.

Rooms and Ages

The Rainbow Room is the baby room. Babies have been accepted from January 2026, while the wider offer continues until children leave for school or a school nursery.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, this brings communication, physical development and early learning into play and ordinary routines, rather than treating preparation for school as a separate lesson.

In February 2023, children explored growing by planting potatoes and daffodils, used paint rollers on cardboard boxes and shaped dough into models. These examples made learning tangible: children could handle materials, change them and see what happened. Shape work included making a house collage, while number rhymes brought counting into singing.

Language activities in February 2023 included shared songs, expressive storytelling and smaller discussion groups for children needing extra help. Children chose objects from a bucket to talk about with staff. That gave conversation a concrete starting point, rather than relying only on children joining a larger group discussion.

The balance between organised activities and children's choices needed attention in February 2023. Some parts of the routine were directed too heavily by adults, reducing children's chances to start play themselves. This is a useful distinction for parents: an interesting activity timetable and genuine freedom to choose are separate things.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2023, the garden supported movement through stepping stones and wheeled toys. Indoors, puzzle boards with hooks and catches gave children practice using their fingers. The combination connected larger movements with the smaller hand movements needed for everyday tasks.

Named visitors and events also punctuate the calendar. Zoo Lab visits were scheduled in December 2025 and February 2026, while World Book Day returned in March 2026 with dressing up. These are dated examples of the programme, rather than promises about a future timetable. They give families a clearer picture of the occasions that sit alongside ordinary play.

Relationships received practical attention in February 2023: staff visited children at home before they started, helping familiarity develop ahead of the first nursery sessions. Parents received updates about activities and development, and could borrow books to share at home. Communication therefore extended beyond passing on messages about the day.

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities good, with staff, parents and other professionals agreeing learning plans and targets. A deputy playleader also holds the SENCO role, giving inclusion a defined place in the staff structure.

Everyday independence was practised in February 2023 through spreading butter on toast, pouring drinks and learning to manage shoes and coats. These were useful opportunities to do manageable tasks for themselves. Staff also used group expectations and timely intervention to help children work through disagreements.

Dental care linked nursery and home in February 2023: families completed toothbrushing charts, with a toothbrush and certificate used as rewards. Healthy snacks were offered, but children needed more help understanding why eating well mattered. Providing food and teaching children about it were not yet equally developed.

Sessions and Attendance

Shernhall operates at St Georges Hall, 136 Shernhall Street, London E17 9HU. Attendance is term time only, Monday to Friday. Office opening hours are 8am to 4pm; these are separate from the children's session times.

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am, and afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Lunch Club occupies 11.30am to 12.30pm. The Short Day runs from 8.30am to 1.30pm, while All Day starts at 8.30am and finishes at either 2.30pm or 3.30pm. A Last hour option covers 2.30pm to 3.30pm, and half-day places are also offered.

Sessions can be combined, subject to availability. The minimum booking is three sessions, each defined as three hours. This gives families several ways to arrange attendance, but the minimum commitment still needs to fit their weekly routine.

A waiting list operates, with principal intakes in April, September and January. Families joining for September are contacted in June or July. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or contact form. Ending a place requires two weeks' notice, and sickness or holiday absences do not qualify for refunds.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the Free Early Education Entitlement: up to 15 hours weekly from the term after a child's third birthday, and 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds, with a maximum of seven hours of care per day. Shernhall also offers 30-hour funding for eligible children aged two, three and four. Attendance is during term time, and additional hours beyond a child's funded allocation are charged privately.

Funding administration requires a parental declaration and a copy of the child's full birth certificate. Funding may be shared with another setting within the combined entitlement. This matters when a family is arranging more than one childcare arrangement: the allocation applies across them together.

Families supply packed lunches, while snacks are paid for separately; Lunch Club has its own charge and can be covered through the Free Early Education Entitlement. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Shernhall describes itself as a common starting point for children moving to Our Lady and St George’s, Henry Maynard and St Mary’s C of E primary schools. Attendance does not guarantee a place at any of them: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Baby care after the inspection. Admission from nine months began in January 2026, after the February 2023 judgement. On a visit, ask how the Rainbow Room handles sleep, settling and daily group sizes.
• Children's own choices. In February 2023, adult direction sometimes restricted children initiating play. Ask how today's routine protects time for children to choose and develop their own activities.
• Term-time commitment. The minimum is three sessions and the longest day finishes at 3.30pm. Match both the holiday pattern and collection time to your family's care needs.
• Food and the full bill. Packed lunches come from home, snacks are paid separately and Lunch Club is charged separately. Request a written breakdown for your chosen funded or private attendance pattern, including any baby-care consumables.

Shernhall suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those combining sessions into short or all-day attendance. Its parent committee and clearly defined booking choices give it a recognisable community character.

The February 2023 judgement offers a useful assessment of the older children's provision, with concrete examples of language, practical learning and independence. The newer baby offer deserves its own close consideration. Families choosing Shernhall should weigh that expansion alongside the established session model and the need for children to have meaningful control over their play.