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Nursery at Elfrida 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
At the June 2022 inspection, even Elfrida’s two-year-olds were developing number understanding by counting small groups of objects around them. Saplings is the nursery class at Elfrida Primary School in Bellingham. Provision includes children aged two, three and four, placing the youngest children within a primary school rather than a separate childcare setting. The emphasis here is on the beginnings of learning.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes the curriculum. Knowledge and skills are organised into topics, with teachers and children helping to shape how those topics develop. For parents, this means a topic provides a connection between different parts of learning, while staff track what has been taught. Children’s interests can influence the direction; coverage remains the adults’ responsibility.
A Nursery Topics Focus plan sits alongside the school’s curriculum planning. Staff check the topics and experiences children encounter, revisit earlier learning and connect it with what comes next. That gives topic work a purpose beyond the activity itself: children have opportunities to return to ideas rather than encounter them only once.
At the June 2022 inspection, nursery children, including two-year-olds, were developing number understanding by counting small collections of objects from their surroundings. Early-years phonics was also revisited across the day. These are useful examples of the learning approach: numbers are connected to tangible objects, and work on sounds receives repeated attention.
Curriculum letters go home at the beginning of each term, explaining the topics and learning ahead. Class pages also carry learning updates and copies of those letters. This gives parents a way to follow the curriculum between conversations with staff and a starting point for talking with their child about nursery learning.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no admissions priority under Lewisham’s 2026/27 arrangements. Families must make a separate application. Familiarity with the school is not an allocation criterion arising from nursery attendance.
The normal route is an online application through Lewisham for its residents, or through the borough where the family lives. For September 2026 entry, the application deadline was 15 January 2026. That deadline belongs to a past entry cycle, so families planning a later start should use the arrangements for their child’s year.
Applications from children already attending the nursery are considered alongside other applicants. Choose Saplings for the nursery experience itself, and treat the Reception application as a separate decision and process.
The school’s Admissions Enquiry Form accepts enquiries about starting nursery. Families can also request a school tour through that route, giving them an opportunity to see the setting before deciding.
Office staff offer help with application forms: parents can email the office or telephone to arrange an appointment. For a family needing assistance with the paperwork, this provides a direct route to practical support rather than leaving the application entirely to an online form.
Elfrida has nursery provision for two-year-olds and for children aged three and four.
The nursery class is called Saplings.
Topics organise the EYFS curriculum. In June 2022, nursery children were learning about numbers by counting small groups of objects, while early-years staff returned to phonics across the day.
No. Lewisham’s 2026/27 arrangements give nursery children no automatic transfer or admissions priority. A separate Reception application is required.
Use the school’s Admissions Enquiry Form for nursery enquiries and to request a school tour. Office staff can also help with application forms by appointment.
