Thomas Jones Primary School Nursery Review

Gingerbread making, a painting easel and visits to the Nature Garden give Thomas Jones nursery a character of its own. This is the school’s nursery class on St Mark’s Road, with children normally joining in September after turning three. The handbook for 2027–28 sets capacity at 25 full-time places, with part-time attendance also possible.

A qualified teacher works full time alongside a nursery officer and supporting adults. Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding following its October 2023 inspection. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Play carries the learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning to communicate, move and manage feelings with early reading, number, creativity and discovering how the world works. A classroom arranged for free-flow learning and an outdoor learning space give children places to explore these skills indoors and outside.

The nursery curriculum makes this concrete. Owl Babies and Rainbow Fish feature among the stories, while Phase 1 phonics also features in the nursery curriculum. Number activities include sorting, comparing quantities and exploring shapes, progressing towards recognising and ordering numbers to ten. Sorting objects and comparing quantities give children practical ways to explore number.

Role play changes across the year: a doctor’s surgery, grocer’s shop and garage connect language with familiar situations. Cooking includes gingerbread, sandwiches and a picnic. Musical instruments, dressing-up clothes, the art station and painting easel remain accessible across the curriculum, while Nature Garden visits connect learning with seasonal changes.

In October 2023, songs, rhymes and everyday routines were developing early-years language and number skills very effectively. Adults also gave exceptionally effective help with understanding feelings and considering other children. Learning to share the day matters alongside learning to count.

Settling starts before the first session, with a home visit planned near the end of the preceding summer term. September starts are staggered, with older children beginning first. Induction takes at least five days: initially a parent stays for an hour, then separation builds through a short stay, a morning, lunch and finally the full day. The process can take longer according to the child’s needs. Families need to allow time for this gradual start.

Lunch is part of learning, with nursery adults leading small groups eating together. Families can choose a charged hot lunch or send a healthy packed lunch. School meals are cooked on site using organic ingredients; communicated allergies and intolerances are catered for, and halal meat is an option when meat is served.

Nursery staff can speak with parents in the morning, with appointments arranged when needed. For additional needs, the class teacher is the first contact, supported by the SENDCo team. Termly reviews involve families in planning support; possible resources include sensory equipment, visual prompts and specialist therapy. Every classroom has a calm corner, giving children a defined space for managing feelings.

Reception admission. A nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea admissions team and meet the deadline for their child’s entry year. Nursery attendance is not a priority in the Reception criteria listed by the school.

Transition support is a separate matter. Between classes, staff share children’s learning progress, individual needs and the strategies that help them. For a child with an Education, Health and Care Plan, reviews are arranged ahead of key transitions with parents involved. This supports continuity of care; it does not change admission rights.

The 2027–28 handbook describes provision over 38 weeks. Nursery closes one week before the end of the summer term for staff home visits, so families should plan care for that week. Full-time days run Monday to Friday, 9am–3.15pm. The universal funded pattern is fixed: Monday and Tuesday full days, followed by Wednesday until 11.30am. Eligible families using the 30-hour pattern attend full days Monday to Thursday and finish at 2pm on Friday; the remaining time can be purchased. Families using only universal funding can pay to extend attendance, with a subsidised route subject to benefit and distance conditions. Ask the school for current charges.

Breakfast club and Play Plus become options once a child has settled. Breakfast needs no advance booking; Play Plus requires a term booking and an agreed start date with the nursery teacher. Written notice of a full term is required when leaving the nursery.

Uniform applies to nursery too. Winter clothing includes a sky-blue shirt and midnight-blue jumper, with grey bottoms and black shoes; nursery children should wear neither ties nor scarves. For enquiries or a school tour, contact the office on 020 7727 1423 or info@thomasjones.co.uk.