Rushmore Primary School Nursery

Storytelling, outdoor movement and hands-on food exploration give Rushmore’s nursery its character. This is the school’s own provision for children aged 3 and 4, on Elderfield Road in Lower Clapton. The nursery has two forms of entry, with morning, afternoon and full-time attendance patterns. Families can therefore choose between a shorter session and a day spanning both halves.

Children generally join in the term following their third birthday. Nursery learning belongs to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with activities that bring language, movement, creativity and early number skills together.

The Autumn Term 2025 programme combined group learning with time to choose activities indoors and outside. Morning carpet time and language groups preceded play, an adult-led activity and snacks. Full-time children ate lunch in the nursery; afternoon outdoor play was followed by another group session, activity time and a story before home time. That gives the day a recognisable rhythm while leaving room for children’s choices.

Early learning took practical forms. Counting games and number songs sat alongside sorting objects and sharing food equally. Painting, collage and fruit-and-vegetable printing connected creative work with exploring texture and taste. Bee-Bots introduced programmable technology. These are concrete ways to practise talking, comparing and experimenting, rather than treating learning as separate lessons.

Outdoors, the programme included climbing, bicycles and tricycles, alongside running and jumping. Threading and cutting exercised smaller hand movements. Forest School sessions were planned after new children had settled, and weekly music added singing to the mix. The outdoor book box allowed families to change books daily, keeping shared reading connected to nursery life.

In September 2022, Ofsted found that nursery children settled promptly, with routines introduced immediately and children learning to cooperate, wait their turn and concentrate. Those habits matter as much as the activities themselves: they help children participate in a group.

The Autumn Term 2025 programme supported separation from a main carer and greater independence with coats, footwear, handwashing and toileting. Lunch for full-time children took place in the nursery. Across the school, the Autumn Term 2026 meal menu follows a three-week rotation; medical diet requests require a completed form and medical evidence.

For children with SEND, the school uses visual prompts, adapted activities and additional adult support. A sensory room is accessible when needed. Parents join discussions about concerns and individual targets, with termly meetings to review support plans. This gives families a continuing role in adjusting support to their child’s needs. Teachers and learning support assistants receive SEND training, including specialist training for staff supporting more complex needs.

A separate application. Attending Rushmore’s nursery does not guarantee admission to its Reception class. Families must apply again through Hackney Education using the normal Reception process and deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoon sessions run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Full-time attendance runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm. Children whose parents qualify for 30 hours of childcare funding attend for that full-time period daily. Paid additional hours depend on availability, with charges linked to household income; contact the school for current charges.

Nursery wraparound care extends from 8:00am to 6:00pm, combining breakfast club, after-school clubs and extended care. This makes a longer day possible for families who need it.

Contact the office on 020 8985 3175 or info@rushmore.hackney.sch.uk for nursery enquiries. School tours take place on Fridays at 10am during term time, with no booking required.