Our Nursery
Early Years in our teacher-led, play-focussed setting - the perfect start to your child's education
Our nursery - known as Monkeys - is housed in our purpose-built Foundation Stage building in the spacious grounds of Loughton Manor First School. Our nursery children benefit from all of the resources, expertise and facilities available across all years, including our on-site Forest School, award-winning Music and Drama facilities and outdoor theatre, custom-built play equipment, and courtyard library.
​
Provision is offered either for either 15 hours (three hours each morning or afternoon per week), or 30 hours (five full days per week). Wrap-around daycare is also available from 7:45am to 6pm, and we accept childcare vouchers.
​
Children are accepted during the school year in which they turn four years old. Depending on the number of places available, we can offer intakes in September, January and April each year.
Admissions
In September 2025, the Nursery Class will be admitting pupils whose date of birth is between 1st September 2021 and 31st August 2022. Admission forms are available from the school or can be downloaded here: Nursery Admission Application
​
Places are allocated in early April. Later offers of places can be made if there are any remaining spaces after the April admissions are confirmed.
​
Please click here to view our admissions policy.
​
​Headteacher Daniela Thompson will be pleased to talk to parents of prospective pupils.
A Day in Monkeys
Learn all about the fun we have on a typical day in Monkeys!
As the nursery doors open each morning, we welcome our children into our bright, varied space that’s full of excitement, laughter and opportunities to explore. Our setting is carefully designed to feel like a home from home - warm, nurturing, and full of wonder - where our preschool age children (from 3 years and up) can feel safe, valued and ready to learn about the world.
​
Our morning and afternoon sessions are structured in the same way, and there is plenty of time to play and explore freely. From the moment they arrive, Monkeys are immersed in a variety of play-based activities that support their personal, social and emotional growth. They learn how to share, take turns and express themselves.
​
Communication and language are at the heart of everything in Monkeys. Through songs and instruments, lots of stories, and rich conversation, our nursery children develop their speaking and listening skills. We introduce Monster Phonics in small, engaging group sessions, helping them to tune into the sounds around them and laying the foundations for future reading.
​
We have a little library in the Nursery area and they choose a book to take as they come into the session, which their parents take home to share with them at home – and our class library sessions are a great favourite for many! We make regular visits to the library in the main school, where children can choose a book that appeals to them, and enjoy quiet moments exploring it with friends or adults. These library sessions help nurture a love of reading and Understanding the World from the very start.
​
​Throughout the week, small group activities focus on early maths. Children explore numbers through hands-on games and puzzles, and begin to make sense of the world around them through fascinating topics – the seasons, families, animals or celebrations from different cultures.
​
There are plenty of outdoor adventures in our much-loved Forest School, which is held in our beautiful wooded area on site. Dressed in wellies and waterproofs, the children set off to explore nature - in the mud kitchen, looking out for wildlife, and playing games that ignite their imagination.
​
Our weekly P.E. sessions encourage the children to move their bodies in creative and playful ways. There’s balancing, jumping, stretching and dancing, strengthening their coordination and building a healthy, active lifestyle foundation.
​
Our indoor space has various zones with areas for reading, small world play, and art and creativity too. It also extends into the larger Foundation Stage building which houses our Reception classes. This shared area allows the children to explore lots more toys and resources, and see the environment they may move into if they join us in Reception.
​​
One of the most common themes we hear from our families about our nursery is the strong sense of care and belonging they feel their child has in Monkeys. Our staff – many of whom have been with us for a very long time – take the time to get to know each child individually, nurturing their interests, celebrating their successes, and gently guiding them through the ups and downs of their new social world.
​
We’d love to welcome you and your child - come and see what makes our nursery such a special place to begin their learning journey. Contact the office for details of our open days and arrangements for visiting.
