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Nursery at Charles Dickens 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A Creation Station, bikes and a school garden give this nursery a practical, hands-busy character. Charles Dickens Primary School’s nursery on Toulmin Street takes children from 9 months to 4 years, with Dot’s Den for the youngest children, Tiny Tim from two and Trotwood for three- and four-year-olds. There are 56 places across the nursery classes. Full-time and part-time options depend on space.
Room leads and early years educators work within an early years leadership structure. Since September 2026, staffing ratios are five children per adult in Tiny Tim and 13 per adult in Trotwood, making the distinction between the younger and older groups clear.
Choice and small-group learning sit alongside each other. In Trotwood, children find their name to register themselves, choose activities indoors or outside, and join their keyworker for a morning group. Helping prepare the lunch tables brings an ordinary household task into the day. Songs and stories follow lunch, with a final story and goodbye song before home time.
Tiny Tim combines child-chosen play with cookery, gardening, art and movement. Staff plan through the Early Years Foundation Stage using Development Matters: learning encompasses communication, relationships, physical skills, early reading and writing, maths, creativity and understanding the world. The nursery aims to help children make decisions about their own learning, while adults support language and turn-taking.
The physical detail matters. Finger gym activities exercise small hand movements; bikes and equipment for balancing and climbing give larger movements their own space outdoors. At the Creation Station, clay, collage and recycled materials offer different ways to make things. Children also grow plants in the school garden and experience Forest School. These are concrete opportunities to explore with their hands, bodies and senses.
An allocated key person gives families a regular contact. Welcome mornings take place in June and July before September entry, and home visits take place in July. Settling starts with a parent staying, then introduces short separations before extending attendance to include a meal and longer days. The process can take two weeks, depending on the child. Families should allow room for that gradual start.
Children receive help with toileting and other self-care skills, and those staying all day have time to nap after lunch. Snacks, drinking water and pull-up nappies are provided; families are encouraged to bring special nappies themselves. Lunch carries a separate charge. Allergies and medical conditions should be discussed before the child starts so staff can consider their needs.
Parents can arrange a meeting with the keyworker or nursery teacher, alongside termly parents’ evenings and twice-yearly review reports. SEND support follows Assess, Plan, Do, Review, with families involved in planning. Specialist support. Access to specialist professionals and teaching assistant time must be shared across the school. Families whose child needs substantial specialist input should consider how the available support matches their child’s needs.
A nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place at Charles Dickens. Families must make a separate application through the normal primary admissions process; Southwark parents apply through Southwark Council. Keep that application separate from nursery arrangements and meet the normal deadline.
Within the nursery, Tiny Tim children move automatically to Trotwood in the year before starting school. Preparation for the next stage includes practising communication, following simple instructions and forming friendships. That developmental preparation is separate from the allocation of a school place.
Tiny Tim and Trotwood have a day running from 8.30am to 3pm, or a morning ending at noon. Dot’s Den runs from 8.30am to 4pm. Breakfast care runs from 8am to 8.30am, and afternoon care from 3pm to 5.30pm. Wraparound requires advance booking and operates subject to space, rather than as a drop-in service.
Funded and paid places are offered. Eligible two-year-olds can receive 15 hours weekly during term time from the term after their birthday; eligible three-year-olds can receive 30 hours on the same basis. Contact the school for current charges, including lunch and wraparound.
Use the nursery enquiry form to contact the team and arrange a visit. Uniform tops can be red, green, yellow or blue, with any-colour bottoms. Label clothing; laced shoes and jewellery are not permitted. Collection is restricted to authorised adults aged 18 or over, with identification and a password required for a different collector.
Children can attend from 9 months to 4 years. The rooms are Dot’s Den, Tiny Tim and Trotwood.
No. A separate primary school application is required, and Southwark parents apply through Southwark Council.
Children begin with a parent present, then try short separations and progressively longer attendance. Settling can take two weeks, depending on the child.
Snacks, water and pull-up nappies are provided. Lunch is charged separately, and families are encouraged to supply special nappies.
Complete the nursery enquiry form. A team member will contact you to answer questions and arrange a visit.
