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Nursery at Harris Primary Academy Merton
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Family Friday, lending-library trolleys and a shared online learning profile give parents a regular part in nursery life at Harris Primary Academy Merton. This is school-based early education on Abbotts Road in Mitcham, within an academy serving children from age two. There are separate Pre-School and Nursery arrangements, with different session times and entrances.
The nursery aims to help children feel secure, become curious and develop through play. Its approach gives families practical ways to stay involved: reading together in class, borrowing learning resources and sharing discoveries from home.
Play drives the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. In everyday terms, that means developing conversation, relationships and movement alongside early reading, number work, creative activities and exploration of the world. Listening games, rhymes and stories build language; comparing quantities and investigating shapes make mathematics practical. Activities also draw on children's interests and earlier experiences.
Outdoor equipment supports movement and physical control. Indoors, children can investigate and make things with tools and materials, use a smart board and explore reading and writing resources. Art, dance, music and imaginative play provide other ways to express ideas. In February 2024, Ofsted identified early-years printing with everyday objects as an example of the art curriculum. That gives a concrete picture of learning through handling and experimenting.
Read Write Inc. phonics begins in the spring term before nursery children move to Reception. Sessions take place daily and are adjusted to children's abilities. Lending-library trolleys hold books and resources for learning at home, allowing families to continue activities beyond the session.
Settling starts with an induction meeting and a proposed home visit, giving parents time to discuss their child's needs before attendance begins. Children usually start in small groups, with an hour on their first day. Staff then discuss longer sessions as each child settles. The pace can be adjusted.
A termly conversation with the nursery key person covers progress and next steps. Evidence Me lets families see staff observations and add photographs or videos from home. Family Friday brings parents into class for reading and a team-led activity; half-termly WOW Party events centre on each child's Celebration Book.
Nursery children receive fruit each day and bring a water bottle. Parents must share dietary allergies. Pre-School has a shared snack at tables, with fruit and water, making eating a social part of the session.
Early-years teaching assistants have specialist training in Every Child A Talker, ICAN and Attention Autism. The school's inclusion arrangements include quiet or sensory spaces, visual timetables and movement breaks. Parents participate in planning and reviewing support, so concerns can lead to agreed actions rather than an isolated conversation.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority. The normal Reception deadline is 15 January; the closing date for the September 2026 intake was 15 January 2026.
Nursery attendance can confer application priority here, but it is not an offer. For the September 2025 intake, the nursery category followed the categories for children in care or previously in care, exceptional medical or social needs, siblings and qualifying staff children. Children had to attend at application or deadline time, and parents had to confirm attendance on the form. Check the arrangements for your child's intake before relying on that priority.
Transition support is separate. A nursery achievement report passes to the Reception teacher. Between classes, teachers exchange information and children meet their next teacher; children who find change difficult may receive a transition book.
Nursery mornings run from 8:15am to 11:15am, afternoons from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Full-time attendance runs from 8:15am to 3:15pm for families eligible for 30-hour nursery funding, with limited spaces and a separate charge for lunchtime care. Contact the school for current charges.
Pre-School sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am or 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Nursery collection uses the Greenwood Road gate; Pre-School uses the Children's Centre entrance. Staff must be told beforehand if a new person will collect a child.
Nursery children wear academy uniform, with no tie. Pre-School children wear practical clothes and bring spare clothing and nappies or underwear as needed. Enquiries can go to info@harrisprimarymerton.org.uk or 020 8679 3707.
Morning Nursery runs from 8:15am to 11:15am and Afternoon Nursery from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Full-time places run from 8:15am to 3:15pm for families eligible for 30-hour nursery funding, subject to limited spaces.
Families attend an induction meeting and are offered a home visit. Children usually begin in small groups with an hour on their first day, then extend attendance through discussion with staff as they settle.
Evidence Me shares observations and accepts family photographs and videos. Nursery parents also have termly key-person meetings, Family Friday activities and half-termly WOW Party events.
No. A separate application through your home local authority is required. Nursery attendance can give application priority, but families should check the arrangements for their child's intake and meet the relevant deadline.
Nursery children wear academy uniform without a tie and bring a water bottle. Pre-School children wear practical clothing and bring a named bag, spare clothes and nappies or underwear as needed.
