Golborne & Maxilla Nursery School Review

Forest School, daily singing and small key groups give Golborne & Maxilla a day built around play, conversation and growing independence. This is a nursery school in its own right, serving children aged two to five at Bevington Road in North Kensington. Its admissions arrangements set a maximum of 70 places for the three-to-five age group, combining part-time and full-time funded provision.

Golborne and Maxilla became one school on 16 June 2023. The two-to-three and three-to-five rooms are downstairs; a lift reaches the upstairs sensory soft play room and white room. That gives the main nursery accommodation alongside spaces used for more focused support.

Sessions begin in small key groups, with activities covering early learning, including maths and literacy. Children then have opportunities to choose their own play alongside activities planned by adults, moving between indoor and outdoor provision. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning to communicate, move, manage feelings, read, explore numbers, understand the world and create. Here, themes and children's interests both shape planning.

Water play, imaginative play, planting and cooking turn those areas into things children can do. Forest School gives every child an opportunity to explore nature through play. Climbing and balancing feature outdoors, while the white room provides a quieter space for language groups and other support. Different kinds of activity have different places.

Language runs through the day. Books are accessible throughout the learning spaces, stories are shared daily, and singing and nursery rhymes bring rhythm and number into group time. At Golborne's inspection on 4 May 2023, before amalgamation, adults helped children practise giving instructions while building models, and supported supervised woodworking with logs in the forest area. These examples connect talk with practical action.

Mind Up supports learning to manage emotions and behaviour. Families can continue learning together through the Book Loan and maths games loan services, rather than needing to devise every activity themselves.

A designated key person gives parents a first contact, with termly progress discussions and additional meetings when needed. Home visits and induction sessions precede starting nursery. During the initial settling week, a parent or familiar carer stays first, then gradually spends longer away; any extension is discussed individually. The approach makes separation gradual and responsive to the child.

Separate teams work with the younger and older age groups, alongside a SENCo and resource-base staff. Support includes adapted story groups, visual timetables and Makaton. The November 2024 SEND policy describes a commissioned speech and language therapist attending twice weekly, with art therapy available through referral and parental consultation. Ramps connect the nursery rooms with outdoor space, helping children with mobility needs take part.

Lunch comes freshly prepared from neighbouring Bevington, using a three-week menu cycle. Allergy menus are agreed with parents before a child stays for lunch. Breakfast provision includes cereal and toast, and after-school care includes a teatime meal. Golborne's May 2023 inspection found safeguarding effective, with staff training and checks of indoor and outdoor premises supporting children's safety.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline; choosing this nursery should remain separate from choosing a primary school.

Transition support is practical. Transfer reports accompany children to primary school, and meetings can bring together parents, the key person and receiving staff. Visits may build towards whole Reception sessions, subject to the receiving school's agreement. These arrangements help children become familiar with their next setting; they do not secure admission.

Funded nursery education runs during term time. For three- and four-year-olds, the application form describes 15 funded hours, with an additional 15 subject to government eligibility and an HMRC code. Part-time patterns include five mornings, 9.15am to 12.15pm, or two school days, 9.15am to 3.15pm, plus a half day. Eligible two-year-olds also have term-time funded provision.

Paid two-year-old places for parents who are working or studying run from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, over 46 weeks. Breakfast, after-school care, top-up sessions and selected holiday provision extend the options. Regular childcare bookings require a signed contract; occasional bookings depend on space, and payment is required in advance.

Lunch charges. Lunch is charged unless a child qualifies for free school meals; funded two-year-old eligibility does not automatically establish meal eligibility. Breakfast and teatime food are included in their respective session charges. Ask the school for current charges. Holiday care requires a healthy packed lunch.

Enquiries can go through the contact form or by telephone on 020 8968 5622. Collection is expected at the agreed session end; persistent lateness can incur a charge.