Holy Cross RC School Nursery Review

Play in the classroom and outdoor area shapes the nursery experience at Holy Cross RC School, while the practical offer is a full day rather than a choice of shorter sessions. Children aged three and four attend the Basuto Road site in Fulham. This is the nursery within a Catholic primary school, with its own nursery teacher and access to the school's SENCo and special educational needs provision.

Children's interests guide activity planning. Teachers observe how children learn, what catches their attention and where they need support, then use those observations to shape their next learning experiences. Parents' observations contribute too. That gives families a useful role in sharing what their child can do beyond the classroom.

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, provides the framework. Its first priorities are learning to communicate, developing physical skills and building social and emotional understanding. Literacy and mathematics sit alongside creative expression and discovering how the world works. These are connected through exploration and play, rather than presented as a timetable of separate school subjects.

Both the classroom and an outdoor area are used for learning. The EYFS statutory framework and Development Matters guide planning, with activities adapted to children's individual needs. For a parent, the central feature is the relationship between observation and activity: what adults notice about a child's interests and development helps determine what they offer next.

Settling begins with contact before the nursery year gets underway. New children are encouraged to visit before starting, and nursery starters have home visits in early September. Where a transition may be difficult, social stories can be created with or for the child, giving them a way to prepare for the change.

Support for additional needs explicitly includes the nursery. The SENCo works with teaching staff and families, while Individual Support Plans set out targets, strategies and a review point when additional support is needed. Holy Cross also commissions extra speech and language therapy for children identified as needing it who do not meet the threshold for an Education, Health and Care Plan. Support therefore extends beyond children who already have a plan.

Lunch needs receive individual attention. Meal supervisors are briefed about dietary, physical or behavioural needs requiring extra care. The school's lunch arrangements can include a quieter eating space or adult-supported indoor play for children who find the usual lunchtime setting difficult. School lunches are vegetarian on Wednesdays.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application: the route is an online Common Application Form through Hammersmith and Fulham, alongside the school's Supplementary Information Form and supporting Catholic documentation.

For the 2027–2028 entry cycle, the school gives 15 January 2027 at 3:30pm as the deadline for forms submitted to Holy Cross. Later submissions are treated as late applications. Keep this step separate from choosing the nursery day.

For preschool children with SEND transferring into Holy Cross Reception, a teacher or SENCo visit to their nursery is arranged where possible, and the school may request their confidential records. This supports continuity of care and learning; it does not determine admission.

The nursery day runs from 9am to 3:30pm. Full-day commitment. The offer excludes part-time places. Families wanting only a shorter funded session should take that booking model into account before applying.

For eligible three- and four-year-olds, the admissions information describes 15 government-funded hours each week, with the additional 15 hours charged. Consult the school's Charging and Remissions Policy for current charges.

Nursery children need a spare uniform and underwear kept at school for accidents. Logo clothing is supplied by Sogans, while Friends of Holy Cross sells second-hand uniform. These give families two routes for obtaining school clothing.

Enquiries go to the school office at office@holycrossfulham.co.uk or 020 7736 1447. Nursery families can book a school tour using the online form; submitting it registers attendance automatically, with no confirmation message. Tours include a leadership-team member and opportunities to ask staff questions. There is no visitor parking, so plan the journey accordingly.