Harris Primary Academy Mayflower Nursery

Fruit trees in the nursery garden give children something tangible to explore: cherries to pick and take home. That practical detail captures the character of Harris Primary Academy Mayflower's nursery, where growing things, water play and encounters with living things feature among children's activities.

For the September 2026-2027 intake, the academy offers one year of part-time nursery provision from the September following children's third birthday. Butterflies is the nursery class, within the school's EYFS team, on Mayflower Road in Chafford Hundred.

Butterflies children have used their outdoor area for water play, tending vegetables, herbs and flowers, and eating snacks picnic-style. The garden contains several fruit trees. Picking cherries and taking them home connects the growing space with something children can handle and eat, giving families a concrete experience to talk about together.

Activities have also included eggs placed in incubators in Nursery. This brings living things into the learning environment and gives children something to watch over time. Another example reaches beyond the classroom: nursery children received a letter and drawings of butterflies and bees from a kindergarten class in Poland. Pictures and correspondence give young children a tangible connection with children elsewhere.

Mayflower aims to develop curiosity through practical experiences and to help children make connections with the world around them. These nursery examples show what that can mean for a parent: learning through plants, water and real objects, with opportunities to talk about what children notice.

Butterflies has a nursery leader and early years educators. Leadership of EYFS also includes the designated safeguarding lead, linking the early years team with the academy's safeguarding structure. Parents can contact teaching staff through the academy office.

The school aims to identify additional needs early and adapt learning through extra support, resources and changes to language. Its inclusion team includes SENCO roles. For families, those roles provide a route for discussing a child's needs alongside the nursery team.

Care-related learning has included a dental nurse's visit. Nursery children heard about tooth cleaning and dental visits, then practised brushing with a large toothbrush. The activity made an everyday care routine something children could try for themselves.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority's Common Application Form, naming the academy as a preference. For September 2027 entry, the application deadline is 15 January 2027.

Attendance does confer conditional priority for that intake: nursery children form the fifth oversubscription category, ahead of other applicants but behind the four preceding categories. Children must be attending Nursery at the application date or deadline, and parents must confirm attendance on the application form. Where a category has more applicants than remaining places, children living nearer receive priority. Equal distances are resolved by independently supervised random allocation. The practical implication is clear: attendance can help with allocation, but an application and an offer are still needed.

Prospective nursery parents can book open mornings on 20 January and 10 February 2027, both from 9am to 10am. These give families an opportunity to see the nursery before choosing it. Book through the academy office on 0203 772 4588 or email info@harrisprimarymayflower.org.uk.

The nursery is at Harris Primary Academy Mayflower, Mayflower Road, Chafford Hundred, RM16 6SA. The academy office is also the contact route for teaching staff, so families have a single starting point for arranging a visit or raising a classroom query.