Sarum Hall School Nursery Review

Child-led exploration sits alongside specialist music and PE in Sarum Hall’s Pre-Reception class, giving its youngest girls a place in school life from the start. This is the provision formerly called Nursery, renamed in September 2025. Girls join in September after turning three, within the independent school in Belsize Park.

The early years provision includes one nursery class. Its everyday character combines classroom learning with participation in school trips, workshops and charity activities. Children also perform for families at Christmas and at the summer term’s end, making expressive work part of their school experience.

Planned learning and exploratory play work together here. Sarum Hall has an exemption from following the Early Years Foundation Stage framework in full, allowing its own curriculum approach. The developmental areas still span communication, physical skills and relationships, alongside early literacy, maths, creative expression and understanding the world. For parents, that means attention to how children talk, move and play as well as their first encounters with letters and numbers.

Two form teachers and a teaching and learning assistant staff each early years class. Music and PE involve specialist teachers, while classroom resources include devices for exploring technology. Art teaching extends to Pre-Reception, with practical work encompassing design, making and food technology in the refurbished Art Studio.

Outdoor time has a regular place in the school day. Morning breaks use the garden and playground, and play follows lunch too. Parents’ Day gives families a hands-on view of classroom activities, including puppet theatre, construction, cooking and reading.

At the ISI inspection of 10 to 12 October 2023, early years children were making good progress, developing their listening and concentration, and extending vocabulary through staff questions. Activities linked to learning goals included extra challenge for more able children; written letters and numbers were introduced when developmentally appropriate.

Meals are prepared in the school kitchen, with daily hot and cold choices, salads, vegetables and fruit. Staff and children share the dining hall, giving meals a social role and opportunities to practise table manners. Morning snacks are provided, and the school caters for all diets.

Medical support includes a dedicated medical room, a First Aid Lead and individual care plans for children with long-term health needs. These provide a practical structure for discussing a child’s care before starting.

For early years children needing additional learning support, class teachers and assistants deliver most intervention, targeting communication, social development and early learning goals. The Head of Learning Support coordinates assessment information and can arrange referrals to external providers. Parents contribute information to the assessment process. Physical access. The October 2025 SEND policy identifies the playground as inaccessible to pupils with physical impairments, with reasonable adjustments to be made as needed. Families should weigh this limitation alongside their child’s mobility needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. For families applying for Reception entry, the school’s registration form provides a separate waiting-list route, with contact when a vacancy arises. The January 2026 admissions policy prioritises sisters, daughters of former pupils and applicants with a significant school connection, subject to space.

Familiarity with school life is a separate benefit. Early years children participate in wider school activities, so the nursery experience already includes occasions beyond their own classroom. That participation should not be read as an admissions entitlement.

Pre-Reception follows the school’s term calendar. School opens at 8.15am, with playground supervision before children move to classrooms at 8.25am. These opening arrangements help parents plan the morning journey.

Charges are organised as termly school fees, payable in advance. Ask the school for current charges. The admissions policy also requires a full term’s written notice of withdrawal; otherwise, the next term’s fees become payable. This is a material commitment when comparing options.

Enquiries go to admissions@sarumhallschool.co.uk or 020 7794 2261. Registration is followed by a school tour and a meeting with the head, giving families a chance to discuss their daughter’s needs. Children applying for an early years place are not assessed.