Nursery at St Mary's School, Hampstead
Last reviewed: August 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.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 girls-only Nursery inside an independent Catholic prep school is the defining shape of this provision. St Mary's admits children from age two, and the school continues to age 11. The Nursery is therefore part of one school rather than a separately listed childcare provider. Its Fitzjohn's Avenue address is in Hampstead, within the London Borough of Camden.
The wider school has capacity for 307 pupils and currently records 194 pupils across all ages. Those are whole-school figures, not a Nursery roll or a promise that a Nursery place is available. Families need to ask the school directly about the current Nursery cohort and vacancies.
The statutory Early Years Foundation Stage sets the learning, development and care standards that schools in England must follow from birth to age five. For a child here, that means learning should happen mainly through games and play rather than formal lessons copied down from older year groups.
Seven areas give that play its purpose: communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; physical development; literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design. Together they make conversation, movement, early number, stories, exploration and creative work part of the educational day. The framework also uses observation rather than a test to assess young children. Parents should ask on a visit how St Mary's turns those areas into activities indoors and outside, because the available official record does not describe a Nursery timetable or named spaces.
The Nursery sits within a school whose official age range begins at two. That makes age-appropriate care central to any family's questions, but current official material available for this review does not set out settling visits, key-person practice, meals, sleep routines or Nursery-specific SEND support. Ask for those arrangements in writing and discuss the child's individual needs before accepting a place.
A Nursery place does not itself guarantee a Reception place. Families should ask St Mary's whether Nursery children must apply separately for Reception, what the current deadline and route are, and whether Nursery attendance carries any priority under the current admission arrangements. Familiar surroundings may ease the practical transition, but families should keep that separate from the admissions decision.
The school is at 47 Fitzjohn's Avenue, London, NW3 6PG. Its official record identifies St Mary's as a non-selective, girls-only independent school with Nursery classes and no boarding. Families should contact the school directly for the Nursery's current session patterns, term-time calendar, funded-entitlement participation, charges, uniform expectations, drop-off arrangements and application steps. Confirming the booking pattern matters: an opening window alone would not show which sessions can actually be reserved.
The school's official age range begins at two and it records Nursery classes. Ask the school which start dates are currently available for an individual child.
Yes. The government's school record lists the gender of entry as girls.
The EYFS requires learning mainly through games and play across seven areas, including communication, physical development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.
No. Families should ask the school whether Nursery children must apply separately for Reception and whether attendance carries any priority under the current arrangements.
Contact the school directly and ask for the current Nursery session patterns, availability, calendar, funded-entitlement position and application steps before making a decision.
