Eastwood Nursery School: nursery life and the next step

A forest cabin, mini-allotment and campfire area give Eastwood’s nursery day a distinctly outdoor character. This is the maintained Nursery School provision in Roehampton, alongside Eastwood’s separate Day Nursery. The mainstream offer has 26 full-time-equivalent places for children aged three and four, with attendance during school terms.

Beech Class provides the classroom base. Its teaching team includes a qualified teacher and two teaching assistants, with key-person responsibilities giving families a familiar contact. For parents choosing between Eastwood’s provisions, the distinction matters: the Nursery School follows a school-term pattern.

Each session starts in the classroom before children choose between indoor activities and outdoor play. Beech Class has a raised terrace connecting it to the garden; outside, the sandpit and forest area sit alongside the mini-allotment, cabin and campfire space. Small-group stories, singing and rhymes bring the session to a close. There is room for independent exploration and a shared ending.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the curriculum framework, with play used to develop knowledge and skills. Mathematics includes exploring shapes and comparing capacity, length and weight. Songs and rhymes develop awareness of sounds and rhythm, while planting and Forest School outings give children practical experiences to investigate and discuss.

Teaching extends children’s interests. In May 2023, a rhyming cat story prompted children to investigate countries using a globe, maps and magnifiers, connecting the story with their families’ origins. Adults developed vocabulary through conversation and questions. That example shows how a familiar story can lead into language, geography and personal connections.

A key person is allocated to each child and family from the start. Three settling sessions and other contact before entry help staff understand the child’s needs; where appropriate, a Team Around the Child meeting brings professionals into that preparation. This gives families time to share information before regular attendance begins.

Communication continues through monthly newsletters, distributed on paper, online and on the parent noticeboard. School meals are part of the provision, with meal costs covered for children eligible for FSM-EYPP support. The federation’s SEND policy also provides for help with potty training and nappy changing, using a designated changing room and attention to privacy.

Support can include Makaton, visual timetables and adapted language. The SEND information report describes individual or small-group teaching linked to a child’s support-plan outcomes, alongside speech and language therapy and occupational therapy partnerships. In May 2023, children in the specialist provision used outdoor equipment before their peers, allowing a quieter start before joining others. Ofsted found safeguarding effective at the May 2023 visit.

Attending Eastwood does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate primary-school application through Wandsworth’s primary admissions route. For entry in September 2027, the deadline is 15 January 2027. Treat this as a separate task from arranging nursery attendance.

Transition support addresses children’s needs rather than admission entitlement. For children with SEND, the summer transition meeting includes an invitation to their new teachers to meet them at nursery. The SENCO can also coordinate meetings with the receiving school and pass on relevant support information, helping the next team prepare.

Monday-to-Friday options are a morning session from 8:45am to 11:45am, an afternoon from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, or full-time attendance from 8:45am to 3:30pm. Part-time provision totals 15 hours weekly; eligible children can access the 30-hour offer. All Nursery School attendance is term-time only, so families need to plan separately for holidays.

The federation admissions policy describes paid early-entry places where funding eligibility or age requirements are not met, and paid additional hours for children in their three-to-four-year-old nursery year. Ask the school for current charges. Nursery applications use the school’s application form; enquiries go to admin@eastwood.wandsworth.sch.uk or 0208 876 3976. Visits are welcomed. Outdoor clothing suitable for the weather is requested so children can use the garden throughout their session.