Millfields Community School Nursery Review

Board games with families and an adventure to Neverland give Millfields’ nursery a character beyond the ordinary classroom routine. Both featured in May 2026 activities. This is the nursery within Millfields Community School on Hilsea Street in Hackney, with opportunities for young children and their families to take part in school life together.

Learning combines choosing, talking and making. Within the early years foundation stage (EYFS), children choose play activities, giving them a part in deciding what to explore. In February 2024, the early years curriculum developed children’s vocabulary and understanding; children also treated playmates kindly and took turns with toys. These are useful foundations for learning alongside others.

The nursery’s 2022-23 curriculum map gives concrete examples of how learning was organised. Themes included Shopping, Weather and Ourselves. Story work involved rhymes, while early writing included making shopping lists. Number learning used songs and games. These activities connect language and mathematical ideas with things a young child can recognise and use.

Physical exploration also featured Forest school, alongside practice with catching and balancing. Creative work included clay and adding texture. The combination gives children ways to explore ideas through movement and materials as well as words.

More recent activities add another dimension. In May 2026, nursery children joined an adventure drama workshop themed around Neverland. Parents & Families Week included a nursery board games session. These are specific examples of shared activity, rather than promises about the everyday timetable.

Parents have a clear starting point for concerns: their child’s class teacher. The school’s SEND information report, reviewed in June 2024, describes meetings each term for families to discuss progress. Where additional needs are identified, parents meet the teacher and SENCo to plan support together. That gives families a role in deciding how help should work.

Support can involve individual work, small groups or changes to classroom tasks and resources. Referrals to outside specialists require parental consent. Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists are among the services listed, so a discussion can extend beyond classroom support when a child needs specialist advice.

Physical access includes a lift between floors, level access to playgrounds and toilets suitable for wheelchair users and personal care. These are practical features for families considering mobility or care needs.

SEND adaptations. In February 2024, some mainstream pupils with SEND received teaching and resources that were insufficiently adapted. This was a school-wide concern, rather than a nursery-specific finding. Families considering additional support should discuss how activities and resources will be adjusted for their child.

Attending Millfields’ nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal Reception process and meet its deadline. For September 2026 entry, the school directed applications through Hackney Education, with a deadline of 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past.

Preparation is a separate matter. The June 2026 transition morning involved children meeting their next teacher and class, giving them an opportunity to become familiar with the people involved in their next stage.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 0208 9857898 or email info@millfields.hackney.sch.uk. The extended activity timetable included nursery children in its Early Years group and provided a snack after school during registration. Refer to the school for current charges.