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Nursery at The Breakspear 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Changing shoes for outdoor learning is a small task with a big purpose at Breakspear: children practise doing it themselves, building confidence through an everyday routine. Independence starts early here. At the March 2024 Ofsted inspection, early years provision was judged Outstanding, with nursery children developing confidence and resilience alongside their learning.
For children joining at three, this is the nursery within The Breakspear School on Bushey Road, Ickenham. Each session accommodates up to 52 children, with smaller groups used for much of their work. A nursery classroom and an outdoor learning space give children two settings in which to explore.
Morning and afternoon sessions each last three hours; eligible children can attend for the full day through the 30-hour childcare offer. Within those sessions, activities take place indoors and outside, and smaller working groups help shape the learning day.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework. In parent language, that means developing movement, communication and social confidence alongside early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. Activities are planned around its early learning goals, so practical experiences have a learning purpose.
Language gets sustained attention. In March 2024, children practised unfamiliar words frequently and used songs and rhymes to begin recognising sounds. This gives early reading a spoken, musical starting point. Staff also built on children's existing knowledge and taught routines that helped activities run smoothly, allowing children to concentrate on learning.
Outdoor learning contributes to independence as well as exploration. Learning to change shoes unaided gives children a manageable responsibility and a visible achievement. The March 2024 findings describe children taking pride in mastering it, alongside sustained engagement in their activities.
Communication and emotional development work together. In March 2024, early years staff helped children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), find accurate words for feelings and regulate their emotions. That support makes language useful for expressing needs as well as learning new ideas.
A nursery newsletter arrives each half term, explaining the main learning areas to parents. It gives families a practical connection with what their child is exploring.
Food is included in Breakspear Buddies breakfast and after-school care: breakfast accompanies the morning club, while afternoon provision includes a snack. Club supervisors collect younger children, including nursery children, from classrooms after school. This provides an organised handover between teaching and extended care. Holiday club children need a packed lunch.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions route and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. Keep that application separate from nursery registration.
The school's admissions page directs families to Hillingdon's school admissions service. For the September 2026 Reception intake, the online deadline was midnight on 15 January 2026. That was a past application cycle, not a deadline for a future nursery cohort.
Choose between mornings, 8.30am to 11.30am, and afternoons, 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Full-day attendance runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm for children eligible for 30-hour childcare. Sessions begin with a 15-minute flexible arrival period; collection can take place within the final 15 minutes.
Breakspear Buddies adds breakfast care from 7.45am to 8.50am in term time and after-school care from 3.20pm to 5.45pm. Club bookings use an online system, depend on space and require advance payment. Breakfast and after-school bookings close at midnight the preceding day; holiday bookings close at 5pm the preceding day. Ask the school for current charges.
For nursery enquiries, contact office@breakspear.hillingdon.sch.uk or telephone 01895 462390. School open mornings for the September 2027 intake can be booked through a Google form, with dates on 13 October and 19 November 2026, and 13 January 2027, all starting at 9.30am.
Children join at three. The nursery is part of The Breakspear School in Ickenham.
Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am and afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Children eligible for 30-hour childcare can attend from 8.30am to 3.30pm.
The EYFS guides learning indoors and outside. Nursery children practise new vocabulary, learn songs and rhymes, and develop independence through routines such as changing shoes for outdoor activities.
No. Families need a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route, meeting the deadline for the relevant intake.
Breakspear Buddies includes nursery children in its arrangements for breakfast and after-school care. Breakfast and an afternoon snack are provided, and younger children are collected from classrooms by club supervisors. Bookings are subject to availability and advance payment.
