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Nursery at Gilbert Colvin 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A large green play space and a dedicated Nursery activity frame give Gilbert Colvin’s youngest children room to climb, explore and invent. Play shapes the learning here, with conversation, stories and songs threaded through the day. This is the school’s own nursery in Clayhall, with capacity for 39 children per session. Children become eligible in the term following their third birthday.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 11 and 12 February 2025. That judgement covers the early years provision within the school. Children developed positive approaches to learning and learnt to cooperate during activities and play, useful foundations for joining a group and taking part.
Free play begins the session, followed by carpet activities involving singing, storytelling and conversation. Adults lead counting games and creative tasks, while children also choose their own activities. A shared snack punctuates the routine; a closing story gives children time to think back over their learning. The pattern gives them repeated opportunities to listen together and make choices independently.
Development Matters guides the nursery’s use of the Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS. In parent language, learning covers movement, communication and relationships alongside early reading, numbers, creative expression and discovering the world. Building with blocks, painting and pretend play put those areas into practice. Staff watch and talk with children during play, then use what they learn to plan the next steps. Daily Read Write Inc. phonics begins in the summer term, introducing letter sounds and simple blending.
Outdoor activity is daily. The nursery’s green space and activity frame support movement and imaginative games; the wider early years environment includes a mud kitchen, sand and water areas, spaces for music and a wild outdoor area. Children use the outdoors in different weather, giving sensory exploration a place alongside indoor learning.
Tapestry connects home with nursery learning. Parents can see their child’s development, exchange comments with staff and add observations from home. Each half term, families are invited to an open classroom or stay and play session. These offer a practical way to understand the activities children have been exploring.
The 2024 nursery welcome presentation described a staffing ratio of one adult for 13 children and a gradual introduction: an hour on the first day, two hours on the next and three on the third. It also described admission meetings with the teacher before starting. These arrangements gave families time to discuss concerns and children time to become familiar with nursery routines.
Children staying across both sessions bring a packed lunch. The nursery welcome guidance asks for food that can be eaten without heating and for allergies or intolerances to be discussed with the teacher. A snack is provided during nursery activities. The nursery welcome guidance asks parents to ensure children are toilet trained before attending and have some self-help skills. The EYFS intimate care consent covers help with washing, toileting and changing soiled clothes, with privacy respected.
For additional needs, the school uses Colourful Semantics, Widgit and Zones of Regulation to support communication and understanding emotions. Its SEND process involves parents in planning and termly reviews; partner services include SEND Early Years Support Services. The school site has a sensory room and an adapted toilet. These are school facilities, rather than rooms identified solely for nursery use.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee admission to Gilbert Colvin’s Reception. Families must make a separate application through Redbridge’s local authority admissions website. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions, and follow the normal Reception application timetable for your child’s intake.
Morning nursery runs from 8.45am to 11.45am; the afternoon session runs from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. The funded 15-hour pattern consists of five mornings each week over 38 weeks. Children attending both sessions need a packed lunch, and lunchtime supervision carries a charge. Ask the school for current charges before arranging that pattern.
Nursery applications go directly to the school admissions team at admissions@gilbertcolvin.redbridge.sch.uk. School visits can be arranged through the office. Uniform should be labelled. The nursery welcome guidance identifies Dacre Avenue for collection and drop-off, and requires families to tell staff when a different adult will collect their child.
Children are eligible from the term after their third birthday. Nursery applications are handled by the school.
The morning session is 8.45am to 11.45am, and the afternoon session is 12.15pm to 3.15pm. The 15-hour funded pattern uses five morning sessions.
No. A separate application must be made through Redbridge’s local authority admissions website.
Children attending both sessions need a packed lunch. Nursery guidance asks for food that does not need heating and for parents to discuss allergies or intolerances with the teacher.
Through Tapestry, parents can view learning, communicate with staff and add their own observations. Open classroom or stay and play sessions are held each half term.
