Haimo Primary School Nursery Review

Play indoors and outdoors, early sound work and topics about the people children meet locally give Haimo’s nursery its character. This is the nursery within Haimo Primary School in Eltham, with 52 spaces and entry from the term following a child’s third birthday. Morning and afternoon places sit alongside a limited allocation of longer, 30-hour places. That gives families a choice between a short session and a longer school day.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good following its March 2024 inspection. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning through play with opportunities to explore, investigate and solve problems. At Haimo, that learning happens outdoors as well as inside. Children can therefore develop ideas through activity in both environments, rather than spending the whole session in a classroom.

People Who Help Us is one nursery topic described on the early years page. It introduces community roles, including dentists, doctors and firefighters, giving children familiar people and jobs to talk about. The topic outline includes plans for visits by firefighters and police officers, alongside a dress-up activity about future jobs. These are examples of how a topic can extend beyond discussion.

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised provides the phonics approach. Nursery begins with Phase 1, centred on listening and speaking; the nursery topic outline also includes rhyming and recognising and making simple patterns. Across early years, writing activities include pretend shopping lists, attempts at writing names and clapping the syllables in words. These connect early literacy to purposes children can understand.

Curriculum precision. In March 2024, some early years learning areas lacked sufficiently specific steps identifying what children should know next. The sequence did not consistently develop existing understanding. Families should weigh the play-based activities alongside this concern about how learning is planned.

An EYFS senior phase leader forms part of the staffing structure. Tapestry supplies the early years online learning journal, with parent guides covering its use. This gives families a named channel for following learning beyond conversations with staff.

Support for parents includes nursery transition workshops through the Greenwich Mental Health Schools Team (GMHST). Its programme also includes sessions about childhood anxiety and managing challenging behaviour. Parents can express interest through their child’s class teacher. Haimo’s SEND page links families to its school information report and the Greenwich SEND Local Offer, providing routes into information about additional needs.

For children attending the longer nursery day, lunch can be a packed meal from home or a purchased school dinner. Caterers provide a separate nursery menu. That choice matters when planning a full day, because lunch is part of the arrangement rather than an automatic free extra.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the Royal Borough of Greenwich and meet the normal application deadline. Treat that application as a separate task even when your child already attends Haimo’s nursery.

Morning nursery runs from 8:50am until 11:50am; afternoon nursery runs from 12:20pm until 3:20pm. The limited 30-hour places require a successful eligibility application. Families then apply to Haimo through the office with their eligibility code. The arrangement consists of five six-hour days in term time, from 8:50am to 2:50pm. A paid extension takes that day to 3:20pm. Families using the shorter entitlement can also purchase occasional additional afternoons.

Children with a 30-hour place can use Breakfast Club and Haimo After School Club (HASC). Breakfast Club starts at 7:30am, with last admission at 8:15am, and operates on a drop-in basis. HASC runs on weekdays during term time from 3:30pm to 6:15pm, subject to spaces and staffing ratios; nursery bookings go through the office. The nursery extension ends at 3:20pm and HASC begins at 3:30pm. Confirm the arrangements between these times with the office. Contact the school for current charges.

An initial nursery form can be returned by email, post or hand delivery. For enquiries or a school tour, contact the office on 0208 850 4911 or office@haimo.greenwich.sch.uk.