St John of Jerusalem Church of England Primary School Nursery

Two outdoor learning areas and an onsite Forest School give this nursery a practical, outdoors-focused character. Children can move between their classroom and the playground, with space outside for climbing, painting and early reading. Outdoor learning is part of the day’s substance.

St John of Jerusalem’s nursery accepts children from age two, alongside its provision for three- and four-year-olds. The school’s 2026–2027 admission policy sets nursery capacity at 25 children, combining part-time and full-time places. It sits within the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good following its November 2022 inspection; that judgement covers early years within the school.

Play and adult-planned activities work alongside one another. The EYFS brings learning, care and development together for children under five; here, practical activities and children’s own interests shape learning. Bug Club provides the phonics approach, while Maths Mastery-Arc is the named mathematics curriculum. Children begin exploring letter sounds in nursery, giving early reading a starting point before formal schooling progresses.

The physical layout supports that approach. Early years classrooms have large windows and doors onto the playground. Two outdoor spaces serve nursery and Reception, allowing children to write, climb, paint, play and look at books outside. That gives familiar activities a different setting and room for movement.

Forest School adds a regular encounter with nature. The Garden Classroom runs weekly sessions for all children in a dedicated playground area. In November 2022, nursery and Reception children developed their understanding of plants and birds in the wooded space, while adults demonstrated language that helped children communicate. Learning across the seven EYFS areas developed progressively, and children picked up routines quickly. Specialist music and Spanish teaching also forms part of the early years enrichment offer.

Settling begins at home. Before nursery starts, the teacher and key worker visit the child and parents, creating a first connection in familiar surroundings. The opening week uses a staggered start: attendance builds gradually while the parent spends less time alongside the child. Two-year-olds receive a formal developmental check during their nursery attendance.

Teachers work alongside nursery nurses, teaching assistants and midday assistants. For children with additional needs, parents can arrange a discussion with the SEN coordinator through the office. The SEND policy includes parent meetings when nursery children start, helping families bring concerns into planning from the beginning.

Additional support. The November 2022 school-wide findings identified inconsistencies in implementing SEND support, with some staff unclear about the help individual pupils needed. Record-keeping for behaviour and well-being also needed strengthening. Some safeguarding records omitted details of support given to families; leaders were already acting to improve those records. These were findings about the school as a whole, rather than separate nursery judgements; families considering additional support should discuss their child’s needs with the SEN coordinator.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Hackney Education using eAdmissions and complete the school’s supplementary form.

Reception priority. The 2026–2027 admission arrangements do not include nursery attendance among the oversubscription criteria, although the admissions webpage describes a preference for nursery children. The formal policy requires a new application and rules out automatic transfer. Families should base their expectations on those arrangements.

Transition practice is separate from allocation. Early July transition days let children meet their teachers and become familiar with routines. These help prepare children for the change; they do not secure admission.

Full-time nursery places run from 9am to 3.30pm and can be paid for or funded where government childcare eligibility applies. The admission policy describes part-time provision of 15 hours per week. Its 30-hour, term-time offer for eligible working parents begins in the term following the child’s third birthday, with the eligibility process completed before each term and the code supplied to school. Two-year-old provision is described as free, part-time attendance of up to 15 hours.

Apply directly to the school using the nursery application form, with a supplementary form where applicable. Contact the office on 020 8985 0730 or email admin@st-johnjerusalem.hackney.sch.uk. Wednesday stay-and-play sessions can be booked through the office, giving families a way to spend time in the setting before applying.