St Stephen's Church of England Primary School Nursery

Play, daily art and a gradual introduction with parents shape the nursery offer at St Stephen's Church of England Primary School in South Lambeth. This is the school's own provision for three- and four-year-olds, with both part-time and full-time places. Its Christian character is part of the choice: families of all backgrounds can apply, and parents are asked to respect that ethos.

The nursery admissions policy for 2024–25 describes a capacity of 26 places. Children normally start in the term following their third birthday, giving families a clear starting point for planning their child's first school experience.

Children have time to choose their own play as well as activities guided by adults, with learning taking place indoors and outside. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines care and learning: talking, movement and relationships sit alongside early literacy, number work, exploration and creative activities. Play has a purpose here, but children also get opportunities to follow their interests.

Growing and Life Cycle is a named nursery topic. Daily art and craft activities connect with children's learning, while an Artist of the term introduces artwork as a starting point for their own ideas. The nursery class page also includes a park visit and a Wednesday PE session, adding movement and experiences beyond the classroom to the picture.

In November 2024, Ofsted described nursery children enjoying rhymes and stories and using objects to practise counting. These are concrete foundations: children hear language repeatedly and work with quantities they can handle. Home reading has a practical rhythm too, with Monday book changes for full-time children and the Monday-to-Wednesday group, and Wednesday changes for the Wednesday-to-Friday group.

Settling starts with a particular adult. Each child is allocated an Early Years Educator as their key person, and parents can stay for the first two introductory stay-and-play sessions. The All About Me Book and New Child Information Record help staff learn about individual needs before attendance begins. Later sessions are adjusted to the child, and the settling period can be extended before full sessions start.

Evidence Me connects home and nursery learning. Its optional Parent Share feature lets families see photographic reports, respond to staff observations and contribute examples from home. This gives parents a way to share what their child does beyond school. For children needing additional help, the school's inclusion provision includes Individual Education Plans reviewed each term, with visual prompts and tasks divided into smaller steps among its teaching approaches.

Lunch arrangements include school meals supplied by Harrison Catering Services and packed lunches. The packed-lunch guidance encourages fruit and a balanced main dish, such as a sandwich, rice or pasta. For nursery pupils not eligible for free school meals, payments are required in advance. Ask the school office for help with free-meal applications and for current charges.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application through eadmissions.org for a September start. The school's admissions page also asks families to return a supplementary form to the office.

The Reception policy for 2024–25 does not include nursery attendance among its oversubscription priorities. Choosing the nursery therefore should not be treated as an admissions advantage under those arrangements. The early-years curriculum describes communication and collaboration between stages as part of transition, a separate matter from securing a place.

Nursery applications go directly to the school, beginning when a child reaches two and a half. The 2024–25 nursery policy specifies a maximum of 16 universal 15-hour places and 16 extended 30-hour places, with eligibility checks for extended entitlement. The extended number may change at the headteacher's discretion after extended-entitlement places have been allocated. Confirm current availability with the office. Contact the Dorset Road school office on 0207 735 1023 or admin@st-stephens.lambeth.sch.uk.

Nursery children may wear a polo shirt under the uniform policy. The class page asks for labelled PE clothing in a bag: a yellow school PE shirt, navy jogging bottoms and trainers or plimsolls.

Extended Day Club runs from 4.30pm to 5.30pm and accepts registered pupils, with block-week booking possible. Registration forms must reach the office before a first booking. Collection is from St Stephen's Children Centre through Meadow Place, so families using the club need to plan for that collection point.