Grinling Gibbons Primary School Nursery

Scooter riding, rhymes and large-scale drawing give Grinling Gibbons’ nursery a practical, language-focused character. This is the school’s own provision on Clyde Street in Deptford, for children aged three and four. Its nursery team includes a class teacher and a teaching assistant.

Ofsted rated early years provision Good at the inspection of 21 and 22 September 2022. That judgement covers the school’s early years, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The September 2022 report also discussed curriculum sequencing from early years upwards. Across the school’s curriculum, teachers and subject leaders were still developing expertise in revised subjects, and assessment outside English and mathematics did not identify learning gaps precisely enough. These were school curriculum findings, not separate nursery judgements.

Play and short teaching sessions share the day. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the framework for young children’s learning and care, brings together communication, physical development and learning to manage feelings and relationships. Half-term themes provide a starting point, while children’s interests help shape activities. Adult-led learning sits alongside exploration indoors and outside.

Language has several routes into the nursery day. BLAST (Boosting Language and Auditory Speech Training) supports speech and listening, while adults read with children individually and in small groups. Children practise noticing sounds and combining or separating them orally, laying foundations for later phonics. A chosen book goes home each week for family reading. Books also appear in displays and activities, and stories become role-play: reading extends beyond sitting and listening.

The nursery overview’s This is Me theme makes the learning concrete. Children explore rhyme, practise horizontal lines and talk about themselves and their community. Maths includes counting to five, sorting objects and recognising patterns; games, songs and practical counting help children learn to count each object once. Painting and drawing on a large scale sit alongside action songs and scooter riding. These give children ways to practise both smaller hand movements and whole-body coordination.

Home visits introduce staff to the child and family before starting or within the first six weeks. Conversations about existing skills and experiences help shape initial learning plans. Tapestry shares observations with parents, who can also contribute learning and interests from home. Children celebrate their learning with families at the end of each half term.

Support can include work on speech, social skills or fine motor development. The school’s SEND arrangements use a cycle of assessing needs, planning help, putting it into practice and reviewing it with parents. Speech and language therapists and occupational therapists are among the external services involved when needed. Families can contact the SEND team through the office.

For children attending the longer session, lunch can be brought from home or purchased from school. Nursery lunch payments go through SIMSPay or the office; contact the school for current charges. Handwashing before food and after using the toilet is part of nursery learning, alongside playing near others and developing self-regulation.

Physical access. The Grinling Gibbons site has two storeys and stairways, and its SEND information report identifies difficulties for people with mobility needs. Families needing adjustments should discuss access when arranging a parent tour.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Lewisham’s School Admissions Department using the normal Reception process and deadline. The school’s admissions criteria prioritise care status, medical or social needs, siblings and proximity; nursery attendance is not a priority criterion.

Transition support is a separate matter. The federation’s arrangements include teachers passing on information in July and children spending a morning with their next teacher in the new classroom. Children with SEND may have extra visits or a transition book with photographs. Familiarisation helps prepare a child for change; it does not determine admission.

The funded offer has two patterns. Children entitled to 15 hours attend a morning or afternoon session; mornings run from 8.15am to 11.15am. Those entitled to 30 hours attend from 8.15am to 2.40pm. Eligibility therefore determines the session pattern families can use.

Nursery applications go directly to the school office, with a waiting list until a place becomes available. September and January are the main intakes, and mid-year applications depend on the child’s age. A birth certificate and address evidence are required when a place is offered. For enquiries, call 020 8692 4907, email admin@ggibbons.lewisham.sch.uk or use the school’s enquiry form.