St John's Primary School Nursery Review

Dinosaurs, beanstalks and a specialist Speech and Language Nursery give St John's early years provision its own character. Within the main nursery in West Ealing, the specialist provision holds ICAN accreditation. This makes speech and language support a concrete part of the setting's identity.

For September entry, children must have turned three by 31 August. The September 2026 offer lists 30 morning and 30 afternoon places alongside full-time placements. Ofsted rated early years provision Outstanding following its inspection on 15 and 16 May 2024; children in early years were motivated and involved in learning across the curriculum. That judgement covers the school's early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The Spring 2026 programme brought the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) into practical activities: talking, learning to share, moving safely, exploring the world and making things. Dinosaurs and Growing and Changing were its themes. Children explored how plants develop, named young animals and considered the difference between the past and the present.

Books gave these themes familiar characters. The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Jack and the Beanstalk featured among the focus texts, while library books went home for families to share. Children were invited to bring a meaningful object from home and talk about it. Stories, songs and these conversations gave them different reasons to listen and speak.

Read Write Inc (RWI) began in that spring term, introducing speech sounds and blending them aloud. Maths used groups of objects, initially up to five and then ten, alongside matching quantities to numerals. Cooking introduced weighing; plants and beanstalks became things to measure. These were tangible ways to connect numbers with everyday experience.

Physical activities included catching and rolling balls, parachute work and chasing games, with attention to safe movement indoors and outside. Creative work used play dough, printing, collage and models made from discarded materials. Sharing equipment, caring for the classroom and helping friends were part of the same programme.

Lunch requires preparation at home: children staying for lunch bring a packed meal and eat it in Nursery throughout the academic year. Families therefore need to plan lunch as part of the daily routine.

SEND support involves the class teacher and SENDCo, with parents participating in termly discussions about provision and progress. For incoming children with SEND, a gradual start may be suggested to ease settling. This is an individual arrangement, rather than a promise of the same induction for every child.

The school's building has level flooring, a working lift and spacious toilets with wide doorways. These are relevant practical features for families discussing physical access. The specialist Speech and Language Nursery sits within the main nursery, so families considering communication support should distinguish that provision from the ordinary nursery place.

A nursery place does not guarantee admission to St John's Reception. Parents must submit a separate application to the London Borough of Ealing, which allocates places under its admission guidelines. Treat the Reception application as a separate task and meet the deadline for your child's application year.

For children with SEND moving between classes, the school's transition arrangements include passing information and support plans to the next teacher and opportunities to visit the new class. A moving-on book may also be used. These preparations help with familiarity; they do not secure admission.

Morning sessions run from 8:45 to 11:45, afternoons from 12:15 to 15:15, and the full-day pattern from 8:45 to 15:15. Attendance is required on five days each week. Nursery children wear school uniform.

The shorter sessions each comprise 15 hours of Universal Entitlement weekly. For eligible families holding a valid HMRC code, the full-day model combines that entitlement with 15 extended hours and 2.5 hours of lunchtime supervision at no additional charge. Families without Extended Entitlement can pay for the additional 17.5 hours, including lunchtime; payments are monthly through Weduc. Ask the school for current charges.

Session allocation. The nursery admissions page lists morning and afternoon places alongside full-time placements for September 2026, but also says places will always be full-time from that September. Families should resolve that conflicting wording when agreeing their nursery contract.

Applications go directly to the school, using its nursery form. For enquiries, contact the office on 0208 567 6251 or adminoffice@st-johns.ealing.sch.uk.