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Nursery at Ivydale 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Watching eggs hatch gave Ivydale’s nursery children something real to investigate in April 2026: changes in the shells, growing chicks and the care living things need. That practical curiosity is a useful starting point for understanding this school nursery in Nunhead. Provision starts from age three, with full-time, part-time and flexible childcare options.
Pencils, paintbrushes and a reading corner give the day recognisable early-learning anchors. At the July 2024 inspection, nursery children practised handling tools and making different kinds of marks, while stories were a regular feature of the reading corner. These are foundations with a purpose: developing control of tools and familiarity with books before more formal learning.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach connects those beginnings with later learning. Ivydale uses Twinkl Phonics for daily EYFS phonics teaching, and specialist teachers teach music from the early years onwards. These give language and music a place alongside practical exploration.
In April 2026, children followed eggs hatching and chicks developing over several days. Questions and conversations grew from what they could observe, bringing growth, life cycles and caring for animals into a concrete activity. The experience was funded by ILOF, the Ivydale League of Friends. It is a specific example of learning through close observation rather than an abstract topic alone.
Settling begins with contact beyond the classroom. The school’s 2025 inclusion policy describes a home visit by the nursery teacher before a child starts, with concerns about additional needs passed to the early-years SEND coordinator. The calendar also includes a nursery stay-and-play event. Both create opportunities to share information before routines become familiar.
For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the Inclusion Lead also coordinates early-years support. Parents can make contact through the office. River class interventions may help some children with complex needs: those receiving Early Years Inclusion Funding, those with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan), or those applying for an EHCP. A specialist SEND nursery nurse delivers these interventions with speech and language therapist support; provision can take place in class or in separate groups according to need.
Specialist support limits. The school’s SEND information report rules out full-time individual adult support and explains that specialist resources are limited. Families needing that level of provision should weigh this constraint carefully alongside the intervention offer.
Parents participate in Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR), the school’s process for identifying needs and deciding support. For children needing significant SEND support, progress and provision are reviewed each term. Termly parents’ evenings provide time to discuss targets and agree planned support, and families can request a meeting with their phase SEND coordinator. Referrals for specialist assessment require parental consent, with parents invited to contribute. That gives families defined points for discussing both concerns and next steps.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application through Southwark Council’s online admissions system, using the same process as other applicants. Applications close in January. Treat that application as a separate task, even when your child already attends Ivydale.
For children with SEND, information passes between the current and next teachers during the summer term. That supports continuity of care and learning; it does not change the admissions process.
The nursery application form offers three attendance patterns. MTW combines full days on Monday and Tuesday with Wednesday morning; WTF combines Wednesday afternoon with full days on Thursday and Friday. All day covers Monday to Friday. Full days begin within an 8.45–8.55am arrival window and finish at 3.15pm. Wednesday’s shorter sessions end at 11.30am or run from 12.30pm to 3.15pm.
The form describes a 30-hour entitlement for eligible working families with children aged three or four. Eligibility matters: the longer funded entitlement is conditional. Contact the office on 020 7639 2702 or email office@ivydale.southwark.sch.uk for nursery enquiries and current charges.
The nursery offers provision for children aged three and over.
The application form lists MTW, WTF and All day. The first two combine two full days with a Wednesday half-day; All day covers Monday to Friday.
The inclusion policy describes a nursery-teacher home visit before starting. The school calendar also includes nursery stay and play.
An early-years SEND coordinator oversees support. Eligible children with complex needs may receive River class interventions delivered by a specialist SEND nursery nurse with speech and language therapist support. The school does not provide full-time individual adult support.
No. Parents must apply separately through Southwark Council’s online admissions system. Applications close in January, and nursery attendance does not guarantee admission.
