John Scurr Primary School Nursery

Short sessions come first at John Scurr, with a longer nursery day introduced when a child is ready and a place is free. That makes readiness part of the attendance pattern. This is the school's own provision on Cephas Street in Stepney Green, with children admitted from age two.

The double nursery unit has capacity for 52 children in each morning and afternoon session, combining full-time and part-time places. These are session capacities, rather than a count of separate full-time places. Ofsted graded early years provision Good following its inspection on 13 and 14 March 2023.

Language development gives the early years curriculum a clear focus. In March 2023, books had been selected deliberately to help children extend their vocabulary, while children aged two upwards received attentive care and took part in learning with a purpose across the day. For parents, the useful connection is between the books children encounter and the language they are developing.

There was also a significant curriculum weakness. Children were not building essential knowledge and skills systematically across every early years learning area in March 2023; leaders had recognised the problem and planned changes. The distinction matters: purposeful activity alone does not ensure that learning builds in a clear sequence. This is a consideration alongside the positive findings about care and vocabulary.

Morning and afternoon attendance provide shorter blocks of nursery time, while full-time places extend across both parts of the day. Moving to that longer pattern depends on agreement between staff and parents about the child's readiness, as well as an available place. It is a change to plan together.

Settling begins before the first session. Families normally receive their nursery offer by letter during the preceding term, followed by a home visit. At the start of the entry term, parent and child attend an induction together, complete the admission paperwork and receive a starting date. That gives families contact with the setting before regular attendance begins.

For additional needs, the school's September 2025 SEN Offer sets out individual learning targets reviewed each term, with support adjusted accordingly. Its assessment options include Wellcomm Speech and Language Assessment; support can involve language and social communication groups, sensory circuits and changes to classroom instruction. These are school support arrangements, with provision planned around the individual child.

Parents can raise concerns with the class teacher, and specialist involvement may be discussed with the family, including the Speech and Language Service or Educational Psychologist. The wider school building has a lift serving its upper floors, plus accessible toilets and changing facilities on the ground and first floors. These practical features matter for families considering physical access and care needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal local authority process and meet the deadline for their child's entry year.

The school's guidance for the September 2025 intake explicitly gave nursery children no admissions priority. That cycle used eadmissions through Tower Hamlets, with a deadline of midnight on 15 January 2025. Those dates belong to a past intake. Choosing the nursery and securing a Reception place are separate decisions.

Morning nursery, including the two-year-old provision, runs from 8:45am to 11:45am. Afternoon attendance is 12:15pm to 3:15pm, described as 15 hours per week. Full-time 30-hour places run from 8:45am to 3:15pm.

Part-time attendance is the initial offer unless special circumstances apply. Preferences for morning or afternoon are accommodated where possible, so families should treat their preferred session as a request. Enquiries go through the school office at admin@johnscurr.towerhamlets.sch.uk or 0207 790 3647; school tours can also be booked through the office.