Judith Kerr Primary School Nursery Review

Bug hunting, mud painting and a log-circle base camp give Judith Kerr’s early-years provision a distinctive outdoor character. The nursery belongs to the primary school on Half Moon Lane in Herne Hill, with a nursery teacher and support staff forming its team. Nursery entitlement begins in the term after a child’s third birthday.

The core offer is for families needing 30 hours each week, with breakfast club and optional care extending into the evening. That makes the attendance pattern a central consideration for parents balancing nursery with work.

Outdoor learning has a recognisable rhythm. Sessions begin and end at base camp, a circle of logs where children discuss activities and their surroundings. Returning to that meeting point also gives them an opportunity to reflect on their learning. Exploration has a structure.

The Early Years team leads activities such as matching leaves, making dens, searching for bugs and painting with mud. These give children practical reasons to talk, think and solve problems. The school grounds include a mature garden, a wilderness area and a vegetable patch with a pond: physical features that give outdoor exploration concrete material to work with.

In May 2022, Ofsted judged the school’s early-years provision Good. The early-years findings described children sustaining attention, sharing turns and enjoying play together, alongside a carefully planned curriculum. These findings concern the school’s early years at that date; they are not a separate nursery inspection outcome.

Adults’ care contributed to children’s positive start in the school’s early years in May 2022. For families with concerns about development or emotional needs, the school’s support route begins with the class teacher, who can discuss strategies and involve the SENCo if further provision is needed.

Assess, Plan, Do, Review is the school’s named cycle for SEND support. It makes reviewing a child’s response part of the process, rather than treating the first plan as final. Parents of children receiving SEND support are invited to termly meetings to discuss provision and contribute their views.

Food is another practical part of the offer. Nursery meals carry no charge. Across the school, Harrisons cooks prepare hot lunches in the kitchen using fresh ingredients each day, with vegetarian alternatives, fruit and a salad bar among the choices. Families should communicate dietary requirements by email or through the reception desk. Nuts, seeds and foods containing either are prohibited on the premises, a rule parents need to consider when packing food.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal local-authority process, using London’s eAdmissions system. The deadline is 15 January in the year the child is due to start school. Keep that application separate from nursery attendance and booking arrangements.

Children have at least 15 funded nursery hours from the term after their third birthday. Parents eligible for Extended Hours Funding can receive up to another 15 hours, bringing the total to 30. Families who do not qualify for that extension can purchase additional hours.

Nursery Club runs from 3.20pm to 4.20pm, followed by Nursery Wraparound from 4.20pm to 6pm; both are optional. An Early Years breakfast club is also offered. Additional hours, optional clubs and consumables are charged separately; contact the school for current charges.

Nursery enquiries and requests to view go to admissions@judithkerr.anthemtrust.uk. That provides a direct route to discuss joining and arrange a look at the provision.