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Nursery at Derwentwater 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.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 Global Garden and weekly Forest School at Springfield park give Derwentwater’s nursery an outdoor dimension beyond its classroom. Children join from age three, subject to space, and learn within the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The nursery has its own learning environment within the school grounds on Shakespeare Road in Acton.
Play and investigation shape the provision’s character. For families, the combination of a distinct nursery environment and access to school grounds means early learning can involve both classroom activity and exploration outdoors.
The EYFS curriculum brings together communication, movement and emotional development with early reading, mathematics, creative work and learning about the world. In parent language, learning to explain an idea, manage a friendship or try a physical challenge belongs alongside recognising sounds and counting. Topics can begin with children’s interests, while adults extend their thinking through questions and new vocabulary.
Read, Write, Inc begins in nursery, giving early literacy a named approach. Mathematics starts with sorting and matching, then introduces patterns, shapes and counting. These are concrete beginnings: children explore relationships between objects and quantities before tackling more complex number work. Target Tracker records individual learning journeys and monitors progress.
Outdoor learning includes the nursery’s own environment and the Global Garden, which is accessible to children across the school. The EYFS prospectus also describes weekly Forest School at Springfield park, linking exploration with independence, communication and awareness of risk. That gives outdoor activity a learning purpose beyond exercise.
At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found effective phonics teaching from early years and established expectations for behaviour in that phase. Those findings support the emphasis on early reading and familiar routines.
Settling begins with parents present. Families must attend nursery transition sessions lasting an hour, with the number adjusted to the child; these happen before independent attendance. The policy allows settling to take two weeks or longer, depending on previous experience and individual needs. Attendance without a parent or carer can be restricted if a child experiences significant distress or presents destructive or violent behaviour, so families should allow for a gradual start.
Toileting. Children are expected to arrive toilet trained and use the toilet independently with staff reminders, because the nursery has no facilities for changing nappies. Medical needs requiring an intimate care plan should be discussed early so arrangements can be made.
For lunch, families choose between a charged school dinner and bringing a packed lunch; meals sit outside hourly funding. Collection is restricted to parents or adults they have nominated.
SEND support draws on teachers, support staff and specialist services. The school’s approach moves from classroom adaptations to targeted intervention and specialist advice, including Assure speech and language therapy. Learning plans are shared with parents and reviewed termly, giving families a way to discuss both the support and its effect.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Ealing Council; the school gives January in the year of entry as the deadline. Keep that application separate from nursery enrolment.
For children with SEND, transition arrangements include staff sharing needs, progress and useful support strategies, alongside opportunities to spend time with new staff. That continuity concerns care and learning, not entitlement to a place.
Session pattern. The nursery admissions policy allocates 15 funded hours across five mornings or five afternoons and rules out a block of two and a half days. The nursery timetable instead describes part-time attendance split across three days. These schedules conflict, so confirm the applicable pattern before arranging childcare.
Full-time provision also has two stated finishing times: the timetable gives 08:55 to 15:00 across five days, while the admissions policy gives eligible children using 30 funded hours term-time attendance from 08:55 to 15:15, with lunchtime supervision charged separately. Families eligible for 15 funded hours can request paid additional hours, subject to availability. Ask the school for current charges.
Breakfast and after-school care have separate booking arrangements. Aktiva collects children from classrooms for onsite after-school activities, with quiet corners for reading or play. Nursery tours can be arranged through the admin team on 020 8992 9296 or parentcomms@derwentwater.ealing.sch.uk.
Children can join once they turn three, provided a space is available.
Parents attend hour-long transition sessions with their child before independent attendance. The number is tailored to the child, and settling can take two weeks or longer.
The admissions policy rules out this arrangement, but the nursery timetable describes a split across three days. Confirm the applicable booking pattern before committing.
No. You must apply separately through Ealing Council, with January in the year of entry given as the deadline.
Yes. The nursery policy gives families the choice of a packed lunch or a charged school dinner; lunches are outside hourly funding.
