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Nursery at Hanover Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A single nursery class, with a choice between daily short sessions and a split-week pattern, gives Hanover’s provision its practical character. Children can join from their third birthday at the school’s Noel Road site in Islington. This is provision for children aged three and over; Hanover does not take younger children into its nursery.
Ofsted rated the school’s early years provision Good following the inspection on 9 and 10 July 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Learning builds through repetition and a planned sequence. In July 2024, Ofsted found that the early years curriculum organised children’s learning so they returned to knowledge over time, with particular attention to disadvantaged children. For parents, the useful distinction is that activities form part of a connected learning plan: children have opportunities to revisit what they have learnt.
Cultural understanding also forms part of that early years curriculum, alongside preparation for the next stage of education. The emphasis is on what children learn and carry forward. A morning or afternoon place provides a regular short session, while the split-week options bring together whole days and part of Wednesday.
Meals require a practical step from parents. Islington provides free school meals for maintained nursery pupils, and families accepting a Hanover nursery place must register their child through the meals portal. Each sibling needs a separate registration, so an older child’s registration does not cover a new nursery starter.
For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), Hanover’s school-wide arrangements include a Pupil Passport or SEND Support Plan following discussion with parents. Targets are reviewed each term with the class teacher and Inclusion Manager, involving the child where appropriate. The SEND policy approved in March 2025 also provides a weekly parent drop-in with the SENCO, giving families a route to raise concerns between formal meetings.
Starting arrangements can be tailored for children with SEND. The June 2024 information report lists possible home visits, contact with Islington’s Early Years Inclusion Team and a transition plan agreed with the main carer. Managed visits, pictures or a transition book may form part of that plan. These are examples of additional support, rather than a settling programme promised to every nursery child.
Physical access is relevant too: the same school information report describes a pavement-level ramp, a lift serving the building’s floors and accessible toilets on each floor.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Hanover. Families must make a separate application through Islington Council, which manages Reception admissions. Treat that application as a separate task, even if your child already attends the nursery.
For the September 2026 intake, the application deadline was 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past; the date should not be treated as the deadline for a later intake.
Transition support serves a different purpose from admissions. For children with SEND changing classes, the school’s June 2024 arrangements include meetings with the next teacher, visits, visual supports and books that can go home over the holidays. These help prepare a child for change; they do not secure a school place.
Term-time provision runs within 9am to 3:30pm. Families can choose weekday mornings from 9am to noon or afternoons from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Alternatively, one pattern combines Wednesday afternoon with Thursday and Friday, while the other combines Wednesday morning with Monday and Tuesday. The choice affects whether families organise childcare around daily collections or fewer, longer days.
Universal funding provides 15 hours a week for 38 weeks, beginning in the term after a child turns three. Eligible working parents can apply through GOV.UK for up to 30 funded hours weekly, pass their eligibility code to the provider and reconfirm their details every three months. Nursery entry from the birthday and universal funding from the following term are different starting points.
Applications for nursery places go directly through the school on a rolling basis. Contact the office for an application form, and consult the school about current charges. Open mornings have a booking route through the school’s open-mornings page.
Hanover offers nursery places from a child’s third birthday. It does not provide nursery places for children under three.
Weekday mornings run from 9am to noon and afternoons from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Split-week options pair Wednesday morning with Monday and Tuesday, or Wednesday afternoon with Thursday and Friday.
Universal funding covers 15 hours weekly for 38 weeks from the term after the third birthday. Eligible working parents can apply for up to 30 hours weekly and must reconfirm their details every three months.
No. Reception admission requires a separate application through Islington Council.
Ask the school office for a nursery application form. After accepting a place, register your child through the free school meals portal; siblings must each be registered separately.
