Bellenden Primary School Nursery

Friendship, songs and making things give Bellenden’s early-years plans their character. The nursery class serves three- and four-year-olds within Bellenden Primary School in Peckham. It is a school nursery, with learning and support connected to the wider school.

Ofsted’s inspection on 6 and 7 March 2024 graded early years Good, while identifying weaknesses in how fully the curriculum was taught. That combination matters: the judgement was positive, but families should also weigh the specific concern about children’s learning.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) plans dated September 2017 illustrate learning through conversation, creative work and movement. A friendship and settling theme included It’s Good to be Kind, alongside group discussions and activities making models, cards and paintings. Children were encouraged to talk about their creations and explain their play. These activities connected making things with learning to express ideas.

Number songs and putting numbers in order brought mathematics into group activities. Circle games gave children practice expressing what they needed and asking for help. Outdoors, the early-years learning area included equipment for balancing and climbing, with opportunities to practise catching and throwing. Finger-strengthening activities prepared children for the physical demands of writing.

Early reading also has a clear place. In March 2024, children started learning letter sounds when they joined, and additional help began in early years for those falling behind. However, curriculum activities were not consistently developing children’s knowledge and skills as far as they could. Curriculum delivery. The concern was about putting planned learning into practice, making the purpose of activities an important point to discuss on a visit.

Home learning was part of the September 2017 EYFS approach. Learning Journals recorded each child’s development, with families invited to contribute every half term. WOW moments invited written observations or photographs of new achievements. This gave learning at home a place alongside classroom observations.

For children with additional needs, the school’s 2020 to 2021 SEND offer described joint planning with families. For a child with an Education, Health and Care Plan, a key person, Early Years Co-ordinator or Inclusion Manager could visit the home or existing provision. The offer also described qualified class teachers, specialist support and access to Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. These arrangements gave families routes for sharing needs and agreeing support before and during school life.

Physical access was addressed too: the offer described a single-storey building, broad corridors and no internal stairs or steps.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal local-authority process by the relevant deadline. Bellenden’s guidance for the September 2021 intake directed Southwark residents to apply online and families elsewhere to apply through their home borough.

Transition support is a separate matter. The 2020 to 2021 SEND offer described advance sharing of individual plans, a planning meeting and meeting the next teacher before the school year ended. For children with significant SEND, this could help the new team understand what had worked; it did not establish an admissions advantage.

Nursery enquiries can go to the school office at office@bellenden.southwark.sch.uk or on 020 7732 7107. Emails from parents and carers are handled confidentially and forwarded to the relevant staff member.

An informal school visit can be arranged through the office. Use that conversation to explore how activities support learning and to discuss your child’s needs.