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Nursery at Roger Ascham 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Digging, singing and building give play its shape at Roger Ascham’s nursery, with adults extending children’s ideas through conversation and questions. This is the school’s own nursery in Walthamstow, on Wigton Road. Its character comes from children choosing their play and adults helping them develop the language and skills to take it further.
Families can choose morning or afternoon sessions for the 15-hour pattern, or a longer day under the 30-hour option, subject to eligibility. There is also a practical alternative once a child has settled: with the nursery team’s agreement, 15 hours can be arranged across two and a half days.
Play starts with the children’s interests. Adults demonstrate skills, introduce words and ask questions while children experiment, read, ride and make things. Development Matters guides the approach, recognising that development happens at different rates. That gives adults a framework for extending learning rather than expecting every child to move at the same pace.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning to communicate, manage feelings and move confidently with early reading, number, creativity and understanding the world. Here, stories, songs and rhymes provide material for conversation; daily activities exercise both larger movements and hand control. Reading areas stocked with books give stories a physical place in the learning environment.
Outdoor learning continues throughout the year. Growing plants, feeding birds and composting food waste connect exploration with caring for living things. Children also encounter sound games, including rhyme and syllables, giving them opportunities to listen closely before moving further into reading and writing.
In July 2024, Ofsted found that language development received close attention from Nursery onwards, helping children acquire vocabulary and communicate what they needed. Counting towards an event using a calendar was a concrete nursery example of number learning with a purpose. Early years children also practised sharing, waiting for turns and playing safely, so social learning accompanied the academic foundations.
Independence is an explicit nursery aim. The school wants children to practise putting on coats, washing hands, using the toilet and returning play materials to their places. Picture books help explore feelings, while Zones of Regulation uses visual cues to help children recognise emotions and choose ways to manage them.
For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school plans support through assessment, observation and discussion with families and other professionals. Parents are involved throughout the process, with class teachers providing the first point of contact and the SEND coordinator available for further discussion. This gives families a route for raising concerns and reviewing support.
Breakfast has its own nursery arrangement. Children can have fruit, cereal or toast, with a nursery team member staying with them and taking them to their session. Participation depends on the team’s assessment of the child’s readiness; any concerns are discussed with parents.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place or confer priority. Families must make a separate application through eAdmissions under Waltham Forest’s allocation process. For the September 2026 intake, the closing date was 15 January 2026; that deadline has passed.
Preparation for the move is separate from admission. Incoming Reception children have summer Stay and Play opportunities, staff visits to their nursery setting and a home visit, alongside an induction meeting for parents. A gradual start over the first two autumn weeks gives children time to become familiar with the change.
Morning sessions run from 8:50 to 11:50, afternoons from 12:00 to 15:00, and the 30-hour day from 8:50 to 15:00. The alternative 15-hour pattern combines Monday and Tuesday with Wednesday morning, or Wednesday afternoon with Thursday and Friday. The Wednesday half-session excludes lunch.
To join the nursery waiting list, telephone 020 8527 3157 or visit the school office. School tours can also be booked through the office. Contact the school for current charges.
Uniform is compulsory in Nursery. Label belongings and provide clothing suited to outdoor learning in every season. An adult must bring and collect children, and staff need to know when someone different will collect.
Morning sessions are 8:50 to 11:50 and afternoon sessions are 12:00 to 15:00. The 30-hour option runs from 8:50 to 15:00, subject to eligibility.
Once a child has settled, nursery staff may agree a transfer to two and a half days. This means Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning, or Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday. The Wednesday half-session has no lunch.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a place or confer priority. A separate Reception application is required through eAdmissions.
Yes, at the nursery team’s discretion according to the child’s readiness. Children arrive at the school office between 7:50 and 8:15, have cereal, toast or fruit, and remain with a nursery team member until their session begins.
Call 020 8527 3157 or visit the school office to register your child on the waiting list.
