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Nursery at Redriff Primary, City of London Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Stories, gardening and weekly woodland sessions give Redriff’s nursery a character that reaches beyond the carpet. This is the school’s own nursery in Rotherhithe, with full-time and part-time attendance during term time. Its teaching groups are named Blue carpet, Green carpet and Red carpet.
Ofsted judged early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 28 and 29 November 2023. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision. In November 2023, nursery children collaborated on choosing blocks for a tower, showing persistence and sustained attention: a concrete example of learning through a shared practical challenge.
Language runs through the day. Children hear stories daily, alongside poems and rhymes, with reading happening in groups, as a class and spontaneously during activities. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum draws on Birth to 5 matters and Development Matters. In parent terms, learning combines adult-led carpet sessions and planned group work with resources children can return to, practise with and explore independently.
Nursery phonics focuses on listening and recognising the sounds within words. Songs, dance, stories and games introduce rhythm, rhyme and alliteration. These are the foundations for later reading; nursery children have not yet begun the Sounds-Write programme. Specialist teaching also brings Mandarin, music and PE into the early years offer.
Open-ended play materials support pretend play, while adults extend activities with books, songs or additional resources. Outside, children tend the playground and school gardens with the school gardener. Weekly Forest School sessions take learning into local woodland, and visits include The Paper Garden and Lavender Ponds Ecological Park. Baking, making smoothies and posting letters connect learning with everyday tasks. Canada Water Library is another destination, giving books a place beyond the classroom.
The full nursery day starts at 9am. Lunch runs from 11:20am to midday, followed by the afternoon’s learning and a 3:15pm finish.
Settling begins before the first session. Staff work with new nursery families over the summer; depending on the child’s circumstances, preparation can involve a home visit or observing them in their existing early years setting. Children are encouraged to visit before starting, with extra visits for children with SEND. Familiarity can build before the change in routine.
Speech and language screening begins on entry to nursery. Support groups address vocabulary, sentence structure, early speech sounds, or attention and listening, according to need. The wider school has an Inclusion Team and a SENCO, while all class teachers are qualified teachers. Makaton and visual communication aids support children across the school. The building has wide corridors and no internal steps or stairs, practical features for families considering physical access.
Tapestry keeps parents connected with learning, alongside a weekly EYFS newsletter. Stay and play events let parents join activities during the first hour of the day. Nursery lunches can involve additional charges on two days each week; the other three days are covered within the funded entitlement. Families can provide a packed lunch instead of paying those lunch charges.
Nursery attendance gives no priority for Reception and does not guarantee a place. Families must apply separately through London-wide eAdmissions by the mid-January deadline. The school can help families who need support with that application. Choosing nursery therefore requires a separate plan for the next admission stage.
Transition support is a different matter. For children with SEND moving classes, information and individual plans are handed to the new teacher, children meet that teacher before the school year ends, and social stories may help explain the change. These arrangements support familiarity; they confer no admission advantage.
Opening hours are 9am to 3:15pm, five days a week, during term time only. Funded part-time attendance follows either Monday and Tuesday with half of Wednesday, or half of Wednesday with Thursday and Friday. These patterns give families a clear basis for planning their week.
The first 15 hours are funded for all three- and four-year-olds. Eligible families can use the 30-hour scheme and must reconfirm eligibility with HMRC every three months. Families outside that scheme can pay for the additional 15 hours of full-time attendance. Contact the school for current charges.
Nursery enquiries go to admissions@redriff.cola.org.uk. Bookable open days include a school tour and opportunities to speak with staff. Uniform is compulsory: a red logo jumper or cardigan, black bottoms and a polo shirt, which may be navy in EYFS. Label belongings clearly.
The nursery opens from 9am to 3:15pm, five days a week, in term time.
Yes. The funded patterns are Monday and Tuesday plus a Wednesday half day, or a Wednesday half day plus Thursday and Friday.
No. It gives no Reception priority or guarantee. A separate application through eAdmissions is required by the mid-January deadline.
Parents receive updates through Tapestry and a weekly EYFS newsletter. Stay and play events also allow parents to join learning activities.
For full-time attendance, lunches on three days are covered within the funded 15 hours, while two days carry additional lunch charges. A packed lunch can replace the charged lunches.
