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Nursery at St Helen's School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Mud, ballet and summer-term swimming give St Helen's Nursery a distinctive mix of outdoor exploration and specialist teaching. This is the girls' nursery within the Prep School in Northwood, with entry at three and room for up to 48 girls divided between three classes. Children joining in September must have turned three by the end of August that year.
Play shapes the learning. Small-group work and individual activities sit alongside child-initiated exploration, making this a practical introduction to school rather than a day built entirely around adult-led lessons.
The day starts with the class teacher. Learning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), combining early language, number work and physical development through practical activities. Topics include Pets, Myself and Outer Space. Phonics, literacy and maths are explored through doing, giving children opportunities to connect new ideas with something they can handle or investigate.
Outdoor learning has its own Assistant Teacher, and getting muddy is part of the plan. During its inspection of 24 to 26 September 2024, ISI recorded early-years children using playground equipment and learning through woodland play. Inspectors also found that early-years teaching developed children's language and observation through questions that encouraged fuller answers. This makes conversation part of learning, rather than simply a way of giving instructions.
Specialists teach music, drama, ballet and PE; weekly swimming begins in Nursery's summer term. The same September 2024 inspection described children practising buying and selling in an early-years classroom shop, alongside visits from doctors and dentists that helped them explore roles in society. These activities turn unfamiliar roles into things children can discuss and act out.
Lunch is included in Nursery tuition. Holroyd Howe prepares food on site using seasonal ingredients, with hot and cold choices and provision for dietary requirements, including a Halal option. A daily mid-morning snack supplies fruit and vegetables. Families therefore have both lunch and a snack built into the day.
Within Prep, a Welfare room is supported by a nurse trained in paediatrics and a Welfare assistant. Medical care plans are developed with parents and reviewed by the nurses. For children with identified learning needs, Learning Profiles involve parents of younger pupils in an annual review and help teachers adjust resources and planning. Parents can meet teachers regularly and contact them by email, giving families routes to discuss care and learning together.
In September 2024, suitable adult-to-child staffing ratios were maintained throughout early years, and safeguarding arrangements covered these children. The inspection's recommendations concerned assessment consistency across the school and matching teaching to pupils' needs in Prep. These are school-level development points rather than findings specifically about Nursery teaching.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Reception is a separate entry point, with a published 4+ applicant process beginning with online registration and followed by a selective observational assessment. Existing Nursery families should confirm their daughter's progression requirements with Admissions.
For 4+ applicants seeking September 2027 entry, the registration deadline is 6 November 2026, with assessments on 7 and 8 January 2027. These published applicant dates should not be taken as requirements for children already attending Nursery.
Nursery runs Monday to Friday, from 8.45am until 3pm. Drop-off has a soft-start window between 8.15am and 8.45am. The school calendar includes term breaks, so families need to plan care around school holidays as well as the afternoon collection time.
JAG runs the Prep School's before- and after-school care. Nursery swimming and weekly ballet are included in fees; contact the school for current charges. A Prep uniform guide is accessible through the fees page.
For enquiries, contact admissions@sthelens.london or 01923 843230. Private tours can be arranged through Admissions. Stay and Play sessions on 15 October and 12 November 2026 are advertised for families whose daughters will be 3+ or 4+ in September 2027. They give families another opportunity to explore the nursery's play-based approach together.
Nursery entry is at three. Girls must be three by 31 August in their year of entry.
The nursery day is 8.45am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, with drop-off between 8.15am and 8.45am.
Lunch is included in Nursery tuition, and a fruit and vegetable snack is provided each morning. Dietary requirements are catered for, including a Halal option.
Weekly swimming starts in the summer term of Nursery. Ballet takes place weekly, and both are included in fees.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. The published selective 4+ applicant process has a registration deadline of 6 November 2026 for September 2027 entry. Existing Nursery families should confirm their progression requirements with Admissions.
