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Nursery at Oliver Thomas Nursery 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Mud pies, den building and watching the clouds give Oliver Thomas its character. Its programme, 20 things I did before I was 5, makes simple childhood discoveries part of nursery learning. Children have room to explore, with activities spread between indoor rooms and the garden.
At Mathews Avenue in East Ham, this nursery school takes children aged two, three and four. Provision for two-year-olds sits alongside classrooms for the older nursery children. The July 2024 inspection found that staff developed language expertly and planned learning closely around individual needs. That combination gives purposeful teaching a place within the play.
Adult-led activities sit alongside play that children choose themselves. Staff observe, talk with families and join children's activities to decide what to introduce next. Different equipment across the rooms, with movement into the garden encouraged, gives children choices about where and how to explore.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the curriculum framework. In parent language, it brings together talking and listening, movement, relationships and managing feelings, then develops early reading, number understanding, creativity and knowledge of the world. Learning happens through doing: children investigate, try ideas and practise keeping going when something proves difficult.
Outdoor experiences have specific purposes. The 20 things I did before I was 5 programme includes planting seeds, finding worms and feeling sand under bare feet. A natural art area adds another place for making and experimenting. In July 2024, children showed sustained concentration while using a water pump, digging and counting balls in the ball pit. Everyday materials became opportunities for curiosity and number practice.
Stories also connect nursery and home. Literacy Book Packs come with guidance and links to readings, giving families practical ways to continue a book together. Teachers and Early Years Educators perform the home Songs and Rhymes videos. Children can revisit familiar language with their families.
A child's key person is a regular point of contact. Parents can have brief conversations at either end of a session, with appointments for longer discussions and meetings each term about progress. A special book gathers photographs, work and memorable moments; families can add achievements from home. This makes progress something parents can see and contribute to.
For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), classroom support involves the key person and other staff. The SENCO brings families together with specialists, including physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. Some children have a Support Plan drawn up in consultation with parents, so targets draw on shared knowledge of the child.
In July 2024, SEND support was exceptionally effective because staff understood children and planned their next learning steps carefully. Safeguarding arrangements were effective at that inspection. Staff also helped children understand behaviour expectations by explaining them in manageable steps.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline.
Preparation for the next setting is a separate matter. When children leave Oliver Thomas, staff write a learning and development report for both parents and the receiving primary school. That gives the next teaching team information about the child's learning rather than requiring families to start the conversation from scratch.
Most children attend mornings or afternoons from Monday to Friday. The contact timetable gives sessions of 8:45–11:45am and 12:45–3:45pm; the registration form gives earlier finishes of 11:40am and 3:40pm. Check the timing attached to an offered place. A 30-hour full-time session runs from 9:30am to 3:45pm. Session preferences are not guaranteed.
The funding information describes 15 hours each week from the term following a child's third birthday, with eligibility-based provision from the term after the second birthday. Applications for a two-year-old place require funding confirmation; without the eligibility certificate, registration goes onto the three-year-old waiting list.
Register online or return the downloaded form. Original documents must then be authenticated before the admission form is completed. For a visit, call 020 8552 1177: a senior leader conducts tours, with open viewings on the month's first Tuesday.
Registration covers places for children aged two, three and four.
The 20 things I did before I was 5 programme includes den building, planting seeds and finding worms. Children can move between the indoor rooms and garden.
You can speak briefly with the key person at session boundaries and attend termly progress meetings. Families can also contribute to their child's special book.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process by the applicable deadline.
Yes. Call 020 8552 1177 to book. A senior leader shows families around, and open viewings take place on the first Tuesday of the month.
