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Nursery at Aldersbrook 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Choosing, trying and doing things independently shapes Aldersbrook’s nursery: Montessori sits alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with learning built around children’s interests and individual needs. This is the school’s own nursery in Wanstead, with children starting at three. It combines an early introduction to school routines with practical learning.
The prospectus describes 44 part-time and 14 extended-hour nursery places, but the nursery admissions page specifies that bookings are now for 30 hours a week only. Families should plan around that full-week commitment. Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 3 and 4 December 2024; that judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Independence has a concrete meaning here. In December 2024, early years children followed established routines and picked out the materials needed for their learning themselves. Nursery children also kept working at tasks they found challenging. These are useful foundations for learning: making a choice, getting started and persisting when something takes effort.
The EYFS curriculum develops communication, movement, understanding of the world and early mathematics through practical activity. Montessori adds an emphasis on children making choices and learning by doing. Indoor and outdoor experiences both form part of the curriculum, so learning extends beyond activities inside the classroom.
Listening comes before formal reading. Nursery staff teach children to recognise sounds around them, building a foundation for later reading instruction. This gives parents a specific picture of early literacy here: attention to what children hear, rather than an assumption that nursery means reading books independently.
Forest School is another named strand, with accredited leaders developing a programme across the year groups. The wider school grounds include a Forest School garden and reading gardens. These are school facilities, distinct from the nursery’s own indoor and outdoor learning provision.
Communication with families uses Arbor Mail, newsletters, parent meetings and informal conversations with staff. That gives parents several routes for following school information and discussing their child, rather than relying on a single scheduled meeting.
For additional needs, the school’s SEND policy sets out a cycle of assessing needs, planning support, putting it into practice and reviewing it. Individual Education Plans focus on three or four targets, with reviews at least twice a year and parents invited to participate. Classroom adaptations and learning support assistants sit within that school-wide structure.
Physical access. The school has two accessible toilets, but wheelchair access does not extend throughout the site. This is a practical consideration for families whose child has mobility needs.
A nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place at Aldersbrook. Parents must make a separate application through the London Borough of Redbridge. Treat that application as a separate decision and process, even when your child already attends nursery.
Learning preparation is a different matter from admissions. Recognising environmental sounds in nursery supports the reading learning that follows; it does not secure a school place.
Morning learning runs from 8.30am to 11.30am, with the afternoon session from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The booking model requires both sessions across five days each week, rather than a choice of a morning-only or afternoon-only place.
The nursery describes the universal funded entitlement as 15 hours weekly over 38 weeks. Eligible families can use 30-hour funding for both daily sessions, but lunch remains chargeable. Families without that eligibility pay for the additional 15 hours and lunch. Contact the school for current charges.
Nursery enquiries go to the school office at admin.aldersbrook@redbridge.gov.uk. Regular school tours can be booked through the nursery admissions page, giving families a direct route to arrange a visit.
Children start at three. The nursery admissions page describes the EYFS as covering ages three to five across nursery and Reception.
The nursery admissions page specifies 30-hour places only: two sessions each day, five days a week.
The morning session is 8.30am to 11.30am and the afternoon session is 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
No. Eligible families can use 30-hour funding for the two daily learning sessions, but the lunch session is charged separately.
No. Parents must apply separately through the London Borough of Redbridge for a Reception place.
