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Nursery at Halley 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Early reading begins in Ursa Minor, Halley’s nursery class. That gives this school nursery a clear educational thread: children start building reading foundations before their next stage of schooling. The provision sits within Halley Primary School on Halley Street in Tower Hamlets.
Across Tower Hamlets, children usually begin nursery in the September after their third birthday. Halley’s early years provision received a Good judgement at the Ofsted inspection on 28 and 29 March 2023. This was an early years judgement within the school’s inspection.
Reading provides the clearest picture of learning here. In March 2023, early reading teaching was effective and began in the nursery. Staff had training in delivering the phonics programme, giving children a teaching approach supported by specific staff preparation. For parents, the useful distinction is that reading foundations start during nursery rather than waiting for the next school year.
The early years curriculum builds the knowledge children need for subsequent learning. Nursery sessions have defined morning and afternoon boundaries, while the wider EYFS timetable includes a monthly learning celebration on Fridays, from 9:00am to 9:30am. That creates a scheduled occasion devoted to celebrating early years learning.
Families can arrange a conversation with the class teacher through the school office, by telephone or by emailing admin@halley.towerhamlets.sch.uk. This gives parents a direct route for discussing their child rather than relying solely on informal exchanges.
Halley’s school inclusion structure includes an Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion & SEND and a Speech and Language Therapist. Its SEND provision addresses sensory or physical needs, emotional and mental health needs, learning needs and communication difficulties. The school also draws on parents’ knowledge of their children. For a nursery family, that makes the inclusion team a relevant contact when discussing individual needs and participation in school life.
Reception requires another application. Attending Halley’s nursery neither guarantees a Reception place nor gives nursery children priority. Tower Hamlets’ admission guidance makes the separation explicit, so families should treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as distinct decisions.
Applications go through eAdmissions under the local authority’s normal process. For September 2026 entry, the deadline was 15 January 2026, including for children already attending a school nursery. That cycle is now past. Families planning a later start should follow the local authority’s timetable for their child’s entry year and submit a separate application by that cycle’s deadline.
Morning nursery runs from 8:50am to 11:50am; afternoon nursery runs from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. The morning gates open at 8:40am and reopen for collection at 11:45am. Afternoon access begins at 12:25pm, with collection gates opening at 3:20pm. These separate gate and session times matter when organising the journey and handover.
Visits are arranged through the school office or the admissions page’s visit request form, which includes Nursery as a year-group option. Families can request a date and time, and the school contacts them to arrange the visit. A daytime visit offers an opportunity to see learning activities in progress.
For contact with the office, opening hours are 8:30am to 4pm, with a closure between 1pm and 2pm. The telephone number is 020 7265 8061.
The nursery class is called Ursa Minor.
Morning nursery runs from 8:50am to 11:50am. Afternoon nursery runs from 12:30pm to 3:30pm.
No. Nursery attendance gives neither an automatic Reception place nor priority. Families must apply separately through the normal admissions process.
Yes. Contact the school office or complete the visit request form on the admissions page, selecting Nursery.
The inspection on 28 and 29 March 2023 judged early years provision Good. Early reading teaching was effective and started in nursery.
