Chesterton Primary School Nursery Review

Mud-kitchen play, sound games and growing plants give Chesterton’s nursery its character: early learning combines practical exploration with the beginnings of reading. This is the nursery within Chesterton Primary School on Dagnall Street in Battersea, with entry from age three. Both full-time and part-time places are offered, giving families different ways to fit the nursery into their week.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 13 and 14 December 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery inspection.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the starting point, alongside a theme-based curriculum. In parent terms, learning brings together talking, physical development and relationships with early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. Children practise these through activities as well as short group learning. Recognising their name to register, joining their key group and helping tidy away give the session familiar anchors.

Early reading has a daily place. In December 2022, phonics and reading happened each day, beginning in Nursery. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds guidance, including Foundations for Phonics, informs activities such as listening for initial sounds and blending spoken sounds into words. Book-sharing happens with an adult individually and in groups. The emphasis includes enjoying stories and talking about them, giving children reasons to use new vocabulary.

Practical equipment adds another layer. Threading beads and large tweezers exercise hand control, while scooters, bikes and trikes give children opportunities to practise balance and movement. Indoors and outdoors, children gradually learn to choose resources for their own activities. The mud kitchen and forest school bring natural materials into learning; planting seeds and tending plants make change something children can observe themselves. A Zoolab visit and a healthy-eating picnic at Battersea Park also feature in the nursery curriculum.

Maths begins with recognisable experiences: number rhymes, comparing quantities during play and exploring shapes through construction. Children work towards solving practical problems with numbers up to five. Pretend play with dolls, animals and construction materials gives them further opportunities to develop stories and talk with one another.

Starting is staged. Families attend an All About Me meeting with the nursery teacher before their child begins, and children join through a staggered intake intended to ease settling. Each child learns who their key adult is and how to seek help with a worry. Picture cues and visual prompts support recognising feelings and learning routines, making these expectations concrete for young children.

Independence is taught in small steps, including managing coats, using the toilet and washing hands. Snacks are provided, and children practise choosing a healthy snack and drink. Full-time children learn the routine of going to the lunch hall. Meals are cooked in the school kitchen, with vegetarian, fish and meat choices; families can instead provide a packed lunch. Food brought into school must exclude peanuts and nuts.

Communication includes nursery letters, a weekly school newsletter and parent meetings each term. Families can also email the office to pass a message to the relevant member of staff, giving them a route for questions between meetings.

A nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place at Chesterton. Parents must make a separate application through the normal Wandsworth Local Authority process and meet its application deadline. Reception uses different selection criteria from Nursery.

Preparation for the next stage is part of the nursery year: children practise greater independence and gradually spend longer concentrating in short group activities. These are learning steps, separate from the allocation of school places.

Part-time attendance consists of five half days, totalling 15 hours each week. Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoons run from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. Full-time places are offered to eligible working parents. Parents who are not eligible can pay a top-up to extend part-time attendance to full-time across five days; contact the school for current charges.

Nursery children can use wraparound care once settled into their class, with suitability discussed with the class teacher and lower phase lead. Breakfast club runs from 8am to 8.45am, and after-school care from 3.15pm to 5.55pm. Both require booking and payment through Arbor. This condition matters when planning childcare for the first weeks.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 020 7622 1619 or email office@chestertonschool.org.uk. Nursery applications use a form, with receipt confirmed by email before the enrolment process begins.