Abbey Wood Nursery School: day, care and next steps

A garden, an on-site Forest School and three base rooms give Abbey Wood’s nursery day its shape: a familiar room to start in, then space to explore. This is a maintained nursery school on Dahlia Road, rather than a nursery class within a primary school. It offers up to 150 places for children aged two to four. Places for the youngest children are limited, and they learn alongside older children.

Each class has a teacher and an early years practitioner, with teaching assistants and learning support assistants providing support. Staff hold nationally recognised qualifications. For families, the base-room team provides a first point of contact while children can use the wider setting.

Children begin at 9am with activities in their base rooms. From 9.20am, classrooms and the garden open up for exploration, alongside planned support for children who need it. Tidying and story groups bring the morning towards its close. Children staying longer eat in their base rooms, then return to indoor and outdoor play.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects learning to everyday experience: talking, managing feelings, moving, exploring numbers, enjoying books, making things and discovering the world. Activities follow children’s interests, with adults introducing skills and vocabulary through guided play. Sand and water areas carry mathematical language; role-play kitchens introduce words through pretend domestic activity. These make learning part of play rather than a separate task.

Nature supplies concrete things to investigate. The Living Eggs Project involves watching ten eggs hatch, while the nursery fish tank introduces animal care. Forest School takes place at the back of the site, with waterproofs and wellies supplied. Participation is not universal, although classroom activities provide related experiences. The nursery also opened a library during the 2025–26 academic year, and children can borrow books to share at home.

Teaching consistency. The September 2022 inspection identified uneven staff knowledge about intended learning, including early number concepts, and unequal access to engaging stories and adult book-sharing. These concerns matter when discussing how adults extend play and involve each child in reading; scheduled story groups alone do not demonstrate that every child benefits equally.

Settling starts with home visits and opportunities for parents and children to play together. Collection times are adjusted to the individual child during settling. Every child has a key person, while the base-room team maintains contact with families. Tapestry provides photographs and learning observations that parents can add to, giving home experiences a place in the conversation.

Daily hot lunches include freshly baked bread and salad, with a vegetarian choice each day and provision for dietary requirements. Children can choose snacks such as fruit, raw vegetables and yoghurt. Milk and water are accessible during the day, and children staying for lunch brush their teeth afterwards. Families supply spare clothes for toileting accidents; staff offer reminders where needed.

SEND support involves parents in planning and reviewing individual strategies. Language groups, sensory circuits and peer-supported play are examples of possible interventions, selected according to need. The 2024–2025 SEND report describes ramps into classrooms and the garden, plus an accessible children’s toilet. Safeguarding arrangements were effective in September 2022.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Alexander McLeod Primary. Families must make a separate online application for their chosen primary school through the normal school-admissions process. Greenwich’s school-admissions route is signposted in the handbook. Treat this as a separate decision from choosing the nursery.

Transition support is practical. A final-term report goes to parents and the receiving primary school. For children on the SEN support record, staff contact the receiving SENCo, share records and arrange visits where possible. Some children may need a detailed transition plan. This preparation supports the move; it does not secure admission.

Attendance is term time only. Core provision starts at 9am: morning collection is between 11.45am and noon, while the full-day core finishes at 3pm, with collection between 3pm and 3.15pm. Paid Breakfast runs from 8am to 9am; Mini Tea finishes at 4pm and Extended Tea at 6pm, both starting at 3pm.

All three- and four-year-olds qualify for 15 funded hours from the term after their third birthday. Eligible two-year-olds can access funded provision, and qualifying working families may receive 30 hours with an eligibility code. Additional hours depend on space. Charges apply outside funded core hours; lunch may be charged where a child does not qualify for free school meals. A voluntary fund supports extras, including snacks. Ask the school for current charges.

Uniform is optional. Label clothes and choose items suitable for messy play and independent toileting. Collection is restricted to people recorded on the contact form. Enquiries go to admin@abbeywood-nur.greenwich.sch.uk or 0208 311 0619; the office can arrange a nursery visit.