Flora Gardens Primary School Nursery Review

Bikes, seesaws and story-making give Flora Gardens’ nursery its character: physical activity sits alongside a deliberate emphasis on talking and listening. Three-year-olds join the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Lena Gardens in Hammersmith. The school has occupied this site since June 2024, and it became its permanent home in 2026.

The nursery has its own outdoor play area, alongside a nature space shared with Reception. That gives younger children a distinct play environment while retaining a connection with the next stage. At the inspection on 9 and 10 June 2022, Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good; this was an early-years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

Learning alternates between activities with the class, small groups guided by a teacher and activities children choose themselves. Children therefore experience adult direction as well as opportunities to pursue their own interests. The EYFS curriculum covers seven learning areas, prioritising movement, communication and children’s social and emotional development. In parent language, learning to express a thought, manage feelings and become more independent matters alongside early academic skills.

Language teaching has named methods behind it. Word Aware introduces vocabulary deliberately and returns to it in context. I Am a Clever Writer begins in early years through spoken storytelling: children practise recounting familiar tales before written composition becomes the focus later in school.

Nursery phonics starts with listening and joining in with songs, poems, rhymes and stories. Children use these experiences for role-play, spoken sentences and inventing stories together. During the summer term, Read Write Inc (RWI) introduces initial sounds through brief daily sessions, with Fred Talk supporting the blending of sounds aloud. In June 2022, children in early years showed enthusiasm for learning and quickly gained confidence with sounds.

Movement has a regular place too, with two PE lessons each week for nursery children. Outdoors, scooters and bikes sit alongside seesaws and a climbing frame, giving children different ways to practise balance and coordination. Indoor learning and the shared nature space add alternatives to active play.

The nursery staffing structure includes a class teacher and a teaching assistant whose roles also include Emotional Literacy Support Assistant work. There is an EYFS safeguarding lead within the wider leadership team. These are identifiable roles for families discussing learning, emotional needs or concerns.

Children’s starting points, including SEND and lower language skills, inform the early-years curriculum. The school’s SEND coordinator can be contacted through the main telephone number, providing a route for discussing additional support.

Lunch arrangements depend on attendance. Full-time nursery children receive school meals, with payment required unless they qualify for Free School Meals; morning-only and afternoon-only children do not eat lunch at school. Catering accommodates allergies and medical diets, with halal and vegetarian options. Packed lunches are currently prohibited because of allergies across the school. Families should obtain current meal charges from the office.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Hammersmith & Fulham’s admissions service at www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions, following the normal Reception deadline. Treat this as a separate application task, even when your child already attends nursery.

The shared outdoor nature space provides a physical connection between nursery and Reception. That connection concerns children’s learning environment; it does not secure admission.

The 15-hour funded pattern means attending every day in either the morning, 8:15am to 11:15am, or the afternoon, noon to 3pm. For families eligible for 30-hour funding, the nursery offers 32.5 hours weekly, aligning the longer pattern with the wider school day.

Boom Sports provides on-site after-school care for nursery children until 6pm daily, booked through its website. This gives families a separate option for extending care beyond nursery sessions.

To discuss nursery options and arrange a visit, contact office@fgschool.uk or telephone 020 8748 2566. The address is 34 Lena Gardens, W6 7PZ. My Clothing supplies the school’s uniform, including the nursery book bag. For journeys by car, there is no visitor parking on site, although nearby streets have pay-and-display bays.