Merton Court School Nursery Review

Dough Disco, swimming and a weekly Forest School session give Merton Court’s nursery a day with plenty of movement. This is the school’s Early Years provision for children aged three to four, with entry from the term following a child’s third birthday. It belongs to an independent, mixed school in Sidcup.

At the December 2025 ISI inspection, the nursery comprised two classes. The learning programme combines early language and number work with practical play, rather than making preparation for school solely about reading and writing.

Morning activities run from 9am until 11.30am, followed by lunch until noon. Children attending mornings leave then; those staying have afternoon registration before activities and snack time, with home time at 3pm. Lunch therefore belongs to the morning session too.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together communication, physical skills and emotional development with early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. Here, Letterland introduces phonics, while Ten Town 0-10 supports number learning. Stories, number songs and opportunities to make marks give children different ways to practise those foundations.

Physical activity has specific forms: Dough Disco and Funky Finger activities sit alongside weekly swimming, dance, PE and games. Children have daily access to wheeled toys and large outdoor equipment. Mark making takes place outside as well as indoors, so practice with early writing movements extends beyond a table.

Weekly Forest School and computing sessions, alongside Spanish lessons, broaden the programme. A home corner and office role-play area provide settings for imaginative play; planting and growing connect learning with changes in the natural world. During December 2025, early-years children developed vocabulary through conversations about familiar objects and language work in small groups. That gives spoken language a practical role in preparation for reading and writing.

Each child has an allocated key person, whose role covers individual care, learning and communication with home. Families learn who this will be in the half-term before joining, and newsletters communicate changes. The key person can also help families connect with specialist services, including speech and language therapy.

Before starting, parents complete an All About Me form and a Health & Pastoral Care Plan. An EYFS taster involves informal observation and discussion with parents, making it an opportunity to share how a child manages unfamiliar situations. Toileting. Children must be toilet trained to join; the admissions policy requires parents to collect them if they are not clean and dry. This is a practical entry condition to consider.

School lunches are compulsory, and catering is included in the termly bill. Meals are cooked at school using ingredients from local suppliers. In December 2025, ISI found careful management of allergies and dietary requirements, with appropriate supervision at early-years mealtimes and paediatric first-aid training among early-years staff.

For children needing additional help, the EYFS SEND policy includes individual or small-group work with a teacher or teaching assistant, including BLAST for speech and language development. Support limits. The school assesses whether it can meet a child’s needs and may require withdrawal after consultation if necessary support exceeds what it can reasonably provide. Families should discuss identified needs during application.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families should treat Reception admission separately and follow the normal application process and deadline for their chosen school.

For Merton Court, the admissions policy expects families joining the school to intend to remain through Year 6. That expectation should inform the nursery decision, but it is not a guarantee of a Reception place.

The booking choices include five mornings or full-time attendance, with individual afternoon sessions charged separately. Fees are collected in three termly instalments; tuition, basic stationery and learning materials are included. A Nursery Funding Form is part of the joining paperwork, covering children through the term in which they turn five. Contact the school for current charges.

The daily routine includes transfer to Afterschool Club at 3.10pm. Monday requires main uniform with a blazer and felt cap or hat; Tuesday to Friday use sports kit with a blazer and baseball cap. The site has parking and a designated collection area. A password system applies when someone new collects a child.

Personal tours can be arranged through the Admissions Team at admissions@mertoncourtprep.co.uk or 0208 300 2112. The contact form also accepts visit requests.