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Nursery at The Leys Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Three-hour mornings set the rhythm at The Leys Primary School nursery in Dagenham. With a current capacity of 15 children, this is a short-session provision within the primary school’s early years foundation stage (EYFS). Children usually join soon after turning three, subject to a place becoming free if the nursery is full. For families, the morning-only pattern is the decisive practical feature: childcare arrangements need to cover the rest of the day.
Listening comes before reading here. At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that nursery children practised attentive listening through songs, rhymes and stories, helping them prepare for later phonics learning. This gives parents a concrete picture of early literacy: children begin by paying attention to spoken language and sound.
The EYFS curriculum covers more than literacy. Nursery objectives include language and communication, emotional and social development, physical development, mathematics, creative expression and learning about the world. In parent terms, learning encompasses how children communicate, move, relate to others and understand their surroundings, alongside early reading and number work. Ofsted confirmed in November 2023 that early years teaching covered the required learning areas.
Physical learning has named content too. The EYFS movement programme includes ball skills, gymnastics and partner activities, with hoops, beanbags and quoits among its equipment. Indoor learning space and an outdoor environment serve the nursery classes, giving the provision settings for learning both inside and outside.
Starting nursery involves an induction process. Once a place becomes free, the nursery contacts parents or guardians to begin transition and induction arrangements. That contact is the starting point for preparing a child to join.
Early years leadership also includes responsibility for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Families with concerns can arrange an appointment through the front office, providing a direct route into a discussion about their child’s needs. Across the school, the accessibility approach includes reasonable adjustments. The SEND pages also link parents to the local authority’s Local Offer and to Speech Link and The Autism Page, offering routes to advice and resources beyond the classroom.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application through Barking and Dagenham’s school admissions service, following the normal application process and deadline for their child’s intake. The requirement to apply still holds for a child already attending a school nursery or with a sibling at the school. Plan that application separately from the nursery’s own joining arrangements.
Morning sessions. The nursery pattern is three hours a day, with mornings only. Families needing afternoon care should factor that into their arrangements from the outset.
For nursery enquiries, contact the school office, which keeps the list of children seeking places. Parents can also arrange a school tour and an admissions discussion with the office manager. Curriculum questions go through the office to the early years lead. The school can be contacted on 0208 270 6470 or at office@leysprimaryschool.co.uk.
Children usually enter nursery shortly after their third birthday, unless the nursery is full and there is a waiting list.
The current admissions information gives a nursery capacity of 15 children.
The nursery offers morning sessions lasting three hours a day.
No. You must apply separately through Barking and Dagenham’s school admissions service, even if your child already attends the nursery.
Contact the front office to arrange an appointment about your child’s special educational needs.
