Shaftesbury Park Primary School Nursery

French and English share the nursery day at Shaftesbury Park, with teamwork and problem-solving woven into play. This is provision for children aged two to four within the primary school on Ashbury Road in Battersea. Giraffes serves two-year-olds; Zebras caters for children aged three and four. Both have a bilingual offer and belong to the school's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

The combination gives this nursery its character: language learning sits alongside practical opportunities to listen, cooperate and tackle a challenge. Progression between the two nursery classes is automatic. Moving into Reception requires a separate application.

Play drives the curriculum. Children learn in whole-class sessions, smaller groups and individual work with staff, so the day includes different ways to participate. Within the EYFS, the nursery combines French-English language development with enterprise skills. Here, enterprise means practising cooperation, attentive listening and solving problems through hands-on activities, rather than studying business.

Outdoor activity forms part of the Foundation Stage timetable in both the morning and afternoon through free-flow play. That makes outdoor learning part of the session's shape, rather than an occasional extra. The Foundation Stage lunch period runs from 11:45am to 12:45pm.

Early mathematical learning also has a clear place. At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted described early-years children learning about different kinds of numbers, laying foundations for later work with patterns and sequences. For parents, the useful combination is play, language and early concepts, with group participation balanced by individual support.

A qualified team supports the nursery's play-based approach. Staffing includes an Early Years Professional leading the two-year-old provision and a nursery teaching role that also carries EYFS phase leadership. Individual support is part of the learning model, alongside group activities.

Parents receive a class newsletter through SchoolPost each week, plus a teaching overview at the beginning of each term. These give families a regular account of classroom learning. For special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school's SENCo can be contacted through the office or at senco@shaftesburypark.wandsworth.sch.uk.

Safeguarding procedures include annual staff updates and passing concerns to the designated lead. Parents can raise concerns with any team member. Food is included in extended care: breakfast choices include bagels, fruit and cereal, while after-school snacks include sandwiches, salad and wraps.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Although children transfer automatically from Giraffes to Zebras, that arrangement stops at the nursery boundary. Parents seeking Reception at Shaftesbury Park must apply again through Wandsworth Borough Council's normal admissions route.

Separate application. Wandsworth is the school's admissions authority, and Reception applications go through its admissions service. Families should treat choosing the nursery and applying for school as two separate decisions. Familiarity with Shaftesbury Park does not replace that application.

Part-time attendance follows one of two fixed patterns: Monday and Tuesday from 9am to 3pm, followed by Wednesday from 9am to 11:30am; or Wednesday from noon to 3pm, followed by Thursday and Friday from 9am to 3pm. These blocks matter for organising work and other childcare. Nursery finishes at 3pm, and families should use the designated gates for collection and drop-off.

Eligible two-year-olds can receive 15 funded hours from the term following their second birthday. All three- and four-year-olds are offered 15 weekly early-education hours, with 30-hour places for those meeting the school's eligibility criteria. Self-funded places and additional sessions can also be purchased; contact the school for current charges.

Nursery application forms go to the School Office. Visits to the nursery can be arranged by appointment, and enquiries go to 020 7228 3652 or info@shaftesburypark.wandsworth.sch.uk. Extended care serves ages two to eleven: breakfast care runs from 7:30am to 8:45am and after-school care from 3:15pm to 6pm.