Nursery

Our nursery class is integral to our school. Children are taught by experienced Early Years trained Class Teachers and Teaching Assistants. Children not only get an excellent Nursery education, they also become part of our school. This means transition from Nursery to Reception is seamless and our data show that children who have attended our Nursery make greater progress than those who join in Reception.

"Mayflower nursery is a vibrant, enjoyable and exciting place to be"

- Ofsted, 2017

We have places for 50 children altogether, with a mix of full and part-time places available.

We welcome visits from parents and carers interested in applying for a nursery place. Please contact our school office to arrange a visit.

Nursery and Reception Open Mornings and Afternoons

We are holding a number of open mornings and afternoons at Mayflower Primary School for parents whose children are due to start Nursery or Reception September 2020. Come and meet our Early Years team and learn about our excellent Nursery and Reception classes.

Come and see for yourselves! For further information or to arrange a visit outside the given dates call 020 7987 2782.

All Local Authority applications are now online, Nursery deadline is 16th February 2019.

Find out more an apply now...

What your child will learn

Children at Mayflower Nursery follow the Early Years Outcomes and are provided with a rich and stimulating curriculum across all areas. The three prime areas are:

Communication, Language and Literacy
Physical development
Personal, Social & Emotional development

We also provide opportunities to develop the foundation areas:

Literacy
Mathematical development
Expressive Arts & Design
Understanding the World

Mayflower is a storytelling school and, like the rest of the school, children in Nursery learn a story each half term. This means that by the end of Nursery your child will have learnt 6 stories in depth. We draw on these stories to provide opportunities in all areas of yourchild’s learning throughout the half term.

Our recent Ofsted report noted that our:

"wide-ranging curriculum is rich and carefully planned. It is fun and inspires pupils to learn. Consequently pupils achieve consistently high standards."

From the Spring Term onwards children are taught reading and language skills through regular shared reading and phonics sessions.

Children in our nursery also participate in weekly sensory activities developed by an occupational therapist. This is unique to Mayflower Primary School and is enjoyed by all children up to Year 2.

Enriching our curriculum through educational visits is very important to us at Mayflower and your child will have the opportunity to go on numerous visits. You will be invited to join us. Examples of places we have visited include: Mudchute Farm, Greenwich Park, and the Emirates Cable Car.

Messy Play

At Mayflower Nursery your child will have access to a wide variety of creative and physical play opportunities. We have sand, mud, water, paint, glitter and glue, as well as many other sensory activities. Children can and will get messy! This shows a good day’s learning in our school.

Parents provide spare clothes so they are there when they are needed. All clothes need to be labelled clearly.

"Early Years Children get an exceptional start to their school career in Nursery and Reception classes they make huge gains in the learning early on and are well prepared for Year 1."

- Ofsted, 2017

How to help prepare your child for Nursery

School readiness makes a huge difference to how quickly your child settles and how well they progress in nursery. Here are a few things you can do at home to ensure your child has the best possible start to their school journey:

Engaging your child through talk and ‘to and fro’ conversations is the best way to help them be ready for school. Make sure you are doing lots of talking at home!
Sharing books with your child and telling stories is an important way to help children develop a love of books and helps them to develop their language. Join Chrisp Street Idea Store for a regular supply of books at home.
Playing with your child helps them develop the social skills they need to thrive. There are regular play sessions at your local Children’s Centre which will help you and your child to prepare for Nursery.
It is extremely important that your child benefits from regular outdoor opportunities to play, talk and explore. Take your child often to the local park to help them get a healthy start.
It is important that children start nursery able to use the toilet independently. Your local Children’s Centre can help advise you on this. Children are expected to be independent when using the toilet at school.
Make sure your child is getting enough sleep. Children who are ready for nursery no longer need naps during the day and instead must have at least 13 hours sleep a night. This is really important to ensure they are ready for learning every day.
We expect children to be as independent as possible with dressing and feeding themselves. Encourage them to do things by themselves at home.
Taking daily multi-vitamin tablets will help your child develop strong bones and teeth.