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Nursery at Hitherfield 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Indoor and outdoor play shapes the day at Hitherfield, with songs, stories and growing food giving children concrete ways to explore language and the world around them. This is the school’s nursery for three and four-year-olds in Streatham: two classes with 52 full-time equivalent places, forming part of its Early Years provision. That figure describes the balance of provision, rather than a headcount of children attending.
At the Ofsted inspection on 8 and 9 October 2024, Early Years provision was judged Good. That judgement covers the school’s Early Years provision, rather than constituting a separate nursery rating.
Play runs through the nursery day. Children learn both outdoors and in the classroom, rather than stopping for separate playtimes. The full day lasts from 9:15am to 3:15pm, giving learning and care a six-hour span.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together seven areas of development. Relationships, movement and communication provide the foundations; learning also includes maths, literacy, creative expression and understanding the world. Adults respond to children’s interests and individual needs, so the framework connects what children are learning with how they develop.
Early reading begins with listening and language. In October 2024, nursery staff helped children recognise sounds and extend their vocabulary, while songs and stories supported imagination across Early Years. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised is the named early-reading approach. For parents, the nursery emphasis is on the sound awareness and words that prepare children for reading later.
The Edible Playground gives food a practical context. Children across the school take part in cultivating and harvesting fruit and vegetables, connecting what they eat with how it grows and changes through the seasons. Lunch has a distinct physical setting too: nursery children eat in the hall within the Pearl Building.
Support begins with people who work with young children and their families. An Early Years learning mentor supports nursery induction and the move towards Reception. Their role includes individual sessions, group work and contact with parents, giving families a route for discussing emotional or social concerns.
For additional learning or developmental needs, the class teacher is the first contact. A SEND coordinator covers Early Years, and both school SEND coordinators are qualified teachers with the National Award in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordination. Support can involve specialist advice from speech and language therapy or occupational therapy, with parental consent; parents participate in planning and termly reviews. The Early Years buildings occupy a single level, and an accessible toilet is in the Children’s Centre/Nursery building.
Harrisons caters for school meals, and nursery milk is free for every child. Nursery lunches are normally paid for through Parentpay, although eligible children may receive free lunches. Families should contact the school about eligibility and current charges. Children using the breakfast or after-school clubs also receive food prepared in the school’s kitchen.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Lambeth Central Admissions and meet the normal Reception application deadline. The nursery choice and the later school-place decision therefore need separate planning.
Transition support is a different matter from admission. Learning mentors help with the Nursery-to-Reception move. When children change classes within Hitherfield, teachers exchange information and strategies, and children have a session with their next teacher in the new classroom. Identified children also receive a transition book, helping make the change more familiar.
Full-time nursery places run from 9:15am to 3:15pm. The two part-time patterns combine full days with a Wednesday session: Monday and Tuesday plus Wednesday 9:15am to noon, or Wednesday 12:15pm to 3:15pm plus Thursday and Friday. These are fixed weekly patterns, so families need to match work and collection arrangements to the appropriate half of the week.
All three and four-year-olds qualify for 15 funded hours weekly, with another 15 hours for eligible children. A paid top-up is offered to families who do not qualify for the 30-hour full-time place. Ask the school for current charges.
The Hitherfield Breakfast and Afterschool Club (BASC) has a nursery group in the Nursery/Children’s Centre building. Nursery breakfast care runs from 7:45am to 9:15am; after-school care runs from 3:15pm to 6pm. Both are charged services. Children move to the main school office at 5:50pm for collection.
For enquiries, use the school’s contact form or telephone 0208 769 8428. BASC has an online application route of its own.
The nursery offers provision for three and four-year-olds, with two classes and 52 full-time equivalent places.
The full-time day runs from 9:15am to 3:15pm. Part-time places combine two full days with a Wednesday morning or afternoon session.
Yes. Nursery breakfast care runs from 7:45am to 9:15am, and after-school care from 3:15pm to 6pm. These services are charged and have an online application route.
Nursery lunches are normally charged and paid for through Parentpay, although eligible children may receive free lunches. Every nursery child receives free milk. Contact the school about eligibility and current meal charges.
No. Reception requires a separate application through Lambeth Central Admissions by the normal Reception deadline. Transition support does not secure admission.
