Belleville Wix Academy Nursery

English teaching within a shared English and French school community gives Belleville Wix Academy’s nursery its distinctive setting. The nursery itself teaches in English, with 26 full time equivalent places. Children join in the academic year in which they turn four, making this provision for three- and four-year-olds.

A self-contained nursery space gives the youngest children their own base within the school. Belleville Wix shares its site with École de Wix, and children across the site share meals and playtimes. For families drawn to that cultural mix, the distinction matters: the nursery’s teaching language is English.

Stories, dressing-up and building a rocket sit alongside learning to manage a coat or take turns. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach treats these everyday experiences as opportunities to develop language, independence and relationships. Learning extends beyond the classroom into outdoor areas and the lunch hall, so the day includes practical and social learning as well as early literacy and mathematics.

Six themes shape the early-years curriculum each year. Staff combine children’s interests with new practical experiences, while listening, sharing and asking questions receive explicit attention. This gives familiar routines a learning purpose: joining a story involves listening to others, and a game brings opportunities to wait and cooperate.

Sound work is specific to the nursery’s stage. Children distinguish sounds from their surroundings and percussion, using songs and rhymes to prepare for recognising speech sounds. The phonics programme draws on Letters and Sounds and uses Jolly Phonics actions. Reading comprehension begins in nursery too, through an approach based on Reciprocal Reading, which includes predicting, questioning and clarifying meaning.

Creative and physical activities add texture. Early-years art happens daily, with modelling in three dimensions, collage and painting connected to a topic or story. Music uses piano-led games to explore changes in speed and volume, alongside fairy tales accompanied by guitar. Nursery children also receive gymnastics from a coaching team and dance taught by the PE teacher. These are concrete ways to explore movement, materials and sound.

Learning to ask for help is part of the early-years approach. Adults model communication and help children practise sharing, listening and resolving disagreements. Belleville Wix says it is ready to help children settle when they join nursery, with independence an aim of the provision.

Parents can speak with teachers each day, and consultations take place termly. Workshops run during the year too. For a child with additional needs, families can speak to the class teacher or contact the Special Educational Needs Coordinator through the office. Support covers communication, learning, emotional needs and physical or sensory needs, with access to assistance from the Quality First Education Trust and other services.

Lunch is cooked on site by Lunchtime Co. Packed lunches are another option, but families choose one arrangement for the half term rather than alternating between the two. Nursery meals require advance payment unless a child qualifies for a free lunch through low income or certain benefits. The school excludes nuts from packed lunches, an important practical rule for families preparing food at home.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home borough; Wandsworth Council manages the school’s Reception admissions. For September 2027 entry, the closing date is Friday 15 January 2027. Keep that application separate from the nursery arrangements.

Nursery drop-off runs from 8.35am to 8.40am at the 1902 Gate, the black pedestrian gate closest to Clapham Common. Children say goodbye before the gate and go into the building independently. Collection is at 3.15pm from the Nursery Classroom, reached through the same gate.

Eligible families can take a 30-hour funded nursery place. Those who do not qualify for the additional 15 hours can pay a top-up; contact the school for current charges. Uniform is compulsory, but school logos are optional, so unbranded items in the school colours are permitted.

Nursery enquiries and applications go directly to the school. Contact the office on 020 7228 3055 or admin@bellevillewix.q1e.org.uk. Small-group school tours can be requested through a booking form, giving families an opportunity to see the setting before applying.