Gillespie Primary School Nursery Review

Forest School, daily stories and specialist music give Gillespie’s nursery its character. This is the school’s own class for children aged three to four, within its Foundation Stage provision in Highbury. The early years page gives a class size of 26. Children can join from the term after their third birthday.

At the Ofsted inspection on 7 and 8 November 2023, early years provision was graded Outstanding. Children in early years showed enthusiasm for learning and worked together cooperatively. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Play and adult guidance share the day. Children choose activities, while adults introduce short sessions involving songs, conversation and shared stories. Sustained Shared Thinking is the named approach: adults ask questions that invite children to explain their ideas, then help them develop those ideas further. Play becomes an opportunity for conversation and thinking.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning to communicate, move and manage relationships with early reading, maths, creativity and discovering how the world works. Resources are within children’s reach, and children can move them around the classroom to develop their play. Learning takes place indoors and outside; Forest School forms part of the early years curriculum.

Stories are shared daily. Children revisit familiar tales and rhymes through actions, props and pretend play, giving them ways to practise language beyond listening. A specialist music teacher also teaches the nursery class. Together, these activities give children opportunities to join in, express ideas and hear language used in different ways.

The nursery timetable starts at 9:05am, with lunch at 11:45am and afternoon registration at 1:00pm. The day finishes at 3:15pm. Those fixed points give families a clear outline of the day around the learning activities.

Starting arrangements include home or school visits for nursery children. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), a transition plan is developed with the main carer and child. The school works with Islington’s Early Years Inclusion Team, bringing specialist support into preparations for joining.

The nursery nurse has training in Makaton and NELI for speech and language support. Across the school, SEND support involves the class teacher and SEND coordinator; individual education plans are discussed with parents three times a year. This gives families regular opportunities to review their child’s needs and support.

Lunch is prepared in the school kitchens on a three-week rotation, with vegetarian choices and both halal and non-halal meat. Packed lunches are another option, but must exclude nuts. Parents also receive a fortnightly newsletter and can discuss progress at parents’ evenings, keeping communication going beyond collection time.

Building access. The school occupies a Victorian building across three storeys, with no lift. Wheelchair access reaches the ground floor and office, where there is an accessible toilet. Families with mobility needs should consider those limits when choosing the setting.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Islington Council’s normal Reception admissions route and meet the January application deadline. Choosing the nursery should therefore be a decision about the nursery experience itself.

Transition support is a separate matter. For children with SEND, early years staff work with the Islington EY SEN team and Social Communication Team before handing over to mainstream professionals in the autumn Reception term. That supports continuity of care; it does not secure admission.

Calypso’s onsite extended provision began in April 2026, allowing nursery children to receive care between 8:00am and 6:00pm. Breakfast club and holiday care are also offered through the partnership, giving families options beyond the nursery timetable.

Depending on family circumstances, funded childcare can cover 15 or 30 hours each week; additional hours can be paid for. Contact the school for current charges and to request a nursery application form. Enquiries go to office@gillespie.islington.sch.uk or 020 7226 6840. Open mornings run on selected Tuesdays and require booking through the office.

A responsible adult collects nursery children, and families must tell the class teacher beforehand if an unfamiliar person will collect. The compulsory uniform rule starts at Reception, so it does not apply to nursery children.