Pelham Primary School Nursery Review

Familiar songs for older nursery children, forest school for Little Dreamers: Pelham’s nursery provision spans two distinct age groups. The nursery for children aged 3-4 has 26 morning places and 26 afternoon places. Little Dreamers serves children aged 2-3, with longer sessions and an all-year opening pattern. That distinction matters when matching a child’s age and a family’s working day to the provision.

At the school’s inspection on 7 and 8 May 2025, Ofsted judged early years provision Outstanding. This was a judgement of the school’s early years, rather than a separate nursery rating. Keep that dated assessment distinct from the Little Dreamers offer.

Stories and songs have a clear learning purpose in Nursery: children begin connecting letters with their sounds through familiar material. This gives early reading a starting point children can join in with, rather than making it an isolated exercise. In May 2025, early years learning also gave children purposeful practice with numbers and opportunities to expand their vocabulary. These are concrete foundations for later learning: understanding quantities and having more words to express ideas.

Activities and resources were matched to children’s next learning steps, with staff helping them take part. The early years curriculum supported both learning and development, so the emphasis extended beyond completing an activity to what a child was ready to learn next.

For Little Dreamers, the school describes play as the basis for exploration, creativity and growing independence. Outdoor exploration and creative play sit alongside making friends. Its Enrichment Programme includes forest school, cookery and physical education activities during the day, giving children different ways to participate through movement, practical tasks and outdoor experiences.

Predictable routines helped early years children settle quickly in May 2025. Clear expectations gave them a familiar structure to follow, making the move into nursery life easier. At Little Dreamers, the team aims to build trusting relationships with children and their families, with the school placing emphasis on children feeling secure and valued.

ParentMail carries school communication about news, activities and events. For concerns about special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), families can arrange a conversation with the SENCo. That provides a specific route for discussing learning difficulties, rather than leaving a concern within general school communication.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process; Pelham directs Reception applications through Bexley’s primary school admissions route. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

Preparation for the next educational stage is a different question from securing a place. In May 2025, early years staff supported children through activities tailored to their next steps. That learning preparation does not replace the Reception application.

Little Dreamers offers a Full Day from 7:00am to 7:00pm, Half Day AM from 7:00am to 12:30pm and Half Day PM from 1:30pm to 7:00pm. A minimum of two full days is required. It offers limited places across 51 weeks, closing for one week at Christmas, Bank Holidays and Easter Weekend. The long opening day is useful for families whose childcare needs extend beyond school hours.

For nursery enquiries, contact pelhamadmin@illuminateminds.org or telephone 02083036556. School tours can be booked by email, and Little Dreamers also has an interest registration route. Refer to the school for current charges.