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Nursery at Donhead Preparatory 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Five mornings a week give Donhead’s Preschool its defining rhythm: children return each day to build on their learning, with afternoons added around that core. This is a school nursery with a clear expectation of regular attendance.
Children join in September after turning three and spend up to three terms in Preschool. Boys and girls learn within Donhead Preparatory School’s Catholic, Jesuit setting in Wimbledon. The nursery occupies the EYFS area beside the Reception classrooms and has its own outdoor learning space. At the March 2025 inspection, the nursery roll was 13 children, a count of those attending then rather than a capacity figure.
The morning runs from 8.30am until 11.30am, when lunch begins. Afternoon attendance extends the day, with a hot meal for children staying for lunch. A morning snack is provided for everyone. Families can choose five mornings, five full days, or mornings with selected afternoons, giving children a consistent daily starting point.
The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, brings together learning to communicate, move confidently and manage relationships alongside early reading, mathematics, creative work and discovering how the world works. Donhead plans around children’s interests and developmental needs. Exploring through play, persisting when something proves difficult and trying out their own ideas are explicit parts of the approach.
In March 2025, ISI found that early-years staff developed conversation through carefully chosen questions and helped children connect sounds with letters through suitable books. Practical investigation matters too: children mixed materials and predicted what would happen, using scientific vocabulary. These are concrete ways to develop thinking and language together.
Specialist teaching and participation in the Poetry Recital and sporting competitions connect Preschool with wider school life. PE and Games start in Nursery, with lessons each week. The dedicated outdoor learning area gives outdoor activity a place within the nursery’s own setting, rather than relying solely on facilities elsewhere in the school.
Each class has a preschool teacher and an assistant, both experienced staff members. Before starting, registered children are offered a taster or a visit at home or their existing nursery. That gives families an introduction before regular attendance begins.
The March 2025 early-years findings describe individual attention that supported children’s confidence, trusting relationships and quick settling. Staff also helped children recognise and manage emotions, while guidance for parents supported learning at home. Early years had suitable supervision throughout the day and sufficient paediatric first aiders.
Lunch arrangements are straightforward for children who stay: they receive a hot meal. The catering team prepares two-course lunches, caters for vegetarians and emails menus weekly. Nuts are excluded from the premises and menus. Families should check the Preschool lunch charges against their chosen attendance pattern, since the current fee schedule lists lunch separately.
Toileting readiness. Children are expected to be out of nappies, dry during daytime and able to use the toilet independently. Preschool has no nappy-changing facilities, although occasional accidents are recognised. This is a practical entry condition to weigh against your child’s development.
Additional needs. Donhead describes its SEND and additional-language support as limited. The March 2025 inspection also identified inconsistent application of SEND teaching strategies across the school, affecting progress. That was a school-wide concern rather than a nursery-specific finding; families needing support should discuss how agreed strategies will work in their child’s classroom.
Donhead’s admissions FAQ explicitly guarantees a Reception place for children already attending its Preschool. This is a specific assurance in an admissions source, so families can distinguish it from the general expectation that nursery attendance alone secures nothing. Ask the admissions team to confirm the arrangements for your child’s move.
Preparation also changes the attendance commitment. In the term before Reception, children must attend five mornings and at least two afternoons. The neighbouring classrooms provide continuity of location; this sits separately from the admissions guarantee.
Selected afternoons require a term’s notice. Afternoon pricing describes an 11.30am start and a 3pm finish, shortened to 2.45pm on Fridays. Preschool wraparound runs from 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Thursday and until 4pm on Friday.
For 2026–27, the funding arrangement allocates 15 Merton Early Years hours to Monday, 8am–6pm, and Tuesday, 8am–1pm. Extra mornings, afternoons and weekday lunches are charged separately. Confirm the current charges and how funded hours fit your booking before committing.
Preschool has uniform, supplied through AlleyCatz. Enquiries go to admissions@donhead.org.uk; the Preschool enquiry form also lets families request a tour.
Children join each September after their third birthday and spend a maximum of three terms in Preschool.
The minimum pattern is five mornings each week. Selected afternoons can be added with a term’s notice; at least two afternoons become compulsory in the term before Reception.
Yes. Donhead’s admissions FAQ guarantees a Reception place for children currently in its Preschool. Confirm your child’s transition arrangements with the admissions team.
Yes. Children are expected to be out of nappies, dry during the day and able to use the toilet independently. Occasional accidents are recognised, but Preschool has no nappy-changing facilities.
Every child receives a morning snack. Children staying for lunch receive a hot meal; the 2026–27 fee schedule lists weekday lunch as a separate charge.
