Hasmonean Primary School Nursery Review

Rhymes, stories and songs are the starting point at Hasmonean Primary School Nursery. The school provides nursery education from age two on its Hendon site, placing the youngest children inside a Jewish voluntary-aided primary while giving their provision a clear early-years purpose.

The latest inspection, on 3 and 4 July 2024, found that children are eager to learn from the start of the early years. It also records an inclusive school in which children with special educational needs and disabilities develop confidence alongside their peers. That combination makes the nursery relevant to families seeking both a faith-shaped community and early support where it is needed.

Early reading has real definition here. Nursery children enjoy rhymes, stories and songs as the first stage of the school's phonics work. This makes listening, sound recognition and pleasure in language part of daily learning rather than a formal reading lesson transplanted from primary school.

The wider curriculum identifies important knowledge from the early years onwards in most subjects. Staff check understanding regularly, spot misconceptions and clarify them before moving on. In practical social learning, children learn to take turns and share equipment and resources. These are small actions with a large purpose: children practise language, cooperation and self-control while learning together.

Children know that staff care for them and can help resolve worries. Consistent behaviour routines support positive relationships between children and adults, while the emphasis on taking turns and sharing gives nursery-age children an understandable framework for group life.

Support is designed to start promptly. The school identifies children who need additional help, including those with SEND, works with external partners and specialists, and adapts teaching to meet individual needs. For parents, that means concerns can be met through adjusted classroom practice as well as specialist input.

A Reception place is not automatic after Nursery. Families must make a separate Reception application through their local council; GOV.UK directs applications for state primary places through that route. The school's published Reception admission arrangements should be checked for the relevant entry year, including any supplementary information required by the faith-based criteria.

The learning continuity is educational, not an admissions promise. Beginning phonics through songs and stories prepares children for later reading, but it does not secure or fast-track admission to the school.

The nursery is at Hasmonean Primary School, 8-10 Shirehall Lane, Hendon, London NW4 2PD. Families should contact the school directly for current nursery availability, application dates, session patterns, funded-entitlement arrangements, uniform expectations and collection procedures. These operational details can change between admission rounds.