Belvedere Infant School Nursery Review

Conversation, storytelling and practical learning give Belvedere’s nursery its character. The school puts speech and vocabulary development first, with adults modelling conversation and helping children learn to play together. This makes communication part of the learning itself, rather than something reserved for a separate lesson.

The nursery belongs to Belvedere Infant School on Mitchell Close, Belvedere. For 2026-2027, there are 26 morning places and 26 afternoon places. Its three-hour daily pattern gives families a clear starting point for planning childcare around a shorter nursery day.

Speaking and listening are central to the school’s approach to early learning. Adults model speech and grammar, while books and storytelling provide material for children’s interests. The emphasis includes learning to recognise differences between sounds before formal phonics begins. For parents, the useful distinction is that preparation for reading includes talk and listening, alongside encounters with books.

Practical experiences and themes are part of the approach. The school aims to engage children through activities that let them try things, make mistakes and learn with their peers. Within the early years foundation stage (EYFS), that emphasis connects learning with interaction: children practise conversation as well as taking part in activities.

In November 2023, Ofsted identified a concrete nursery mathematics example: children worked out which colour cube should follow in a pattern. That is an introduction to recognising sequences, with a physical object making the idea tangible. Learning to consider other people’s feelings also began in nursery, giving social development a place alongside early mathematical thinking.

Support sits within the school’s wider inclusion structure. Teachers and Learning Support Assistants assess children’s progress and plan individual activities and targets. The SENCO works with teachers and intervention staff, while parents and other professionals contribute to decisions about children’s needs. This gives families several roles through which to discuss support.

For children learning English as an additional language, the school uses translation technology and sends vocabulary preparation packs home. The school says it values children’s home languages and backgrounds alongside their developing English.

Class Dojo carries school updates and allows families to communicate with teachers. Messages can be translated into more than 30 languages. Sensitive or urgent matters are handled through a call or a conversation in person, giving parents a different route from routine updates. Across the schools, staff receive safeguarding training each year and new staff have an induction.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Bexley’s school admissions service and meet the normal application deadline. Applications are handled by the local authority; joining nursery should therefore be treated as a childcare and early learning decision, rather than securing the next school place.

Morning and afternoon sessions are offered, with nursery attendance totalling three hours a day and 15 hours in a typical week. That shorter pattern matters when fitting nursery around work or other childcare.

For enquiries or to arrange a guided tour, contact the Infant School on 020 8311 9092 or email admin@belvedereschools.bexley.sch.uk. A tour offers a practical opportunity to discuss whether this session pattern suits your family.