Nursery & First Steps

Our new EYFS provision opened in September 2025, bringing our Nursery provision from 2-4 years and Reception classes into one place.  Our exciting new space provides an engaging Early Years environment where children develop the confidence, skills and curiosity they need to thrive. 

At Epsom Primary and Nursery School, we are passionate about the transformative power of early education. We understand that a child’s first steps into school lay the essential foundations for their future learning, wellbeing, and character. Guided by our ethos "Every Person Shines", our children are happy, inquisitive, and independent learners who take immense pride in being part of the Epsom Primary family.

Our Nursery Setting: Enabling Environments

Our Nursery is a spacious, welcoming "hub" designed to spark curiosity. We believe that play is the engine of learning, and our environment is carefully crafted to facilitate high-quality continuous provision.

• Indoor & Outdoor Fluidity: Children have access to both our internal classrooms and our vibrant outdoor spaces throughout the day, inviting creativity and physical exploration.
• Child-Led Discovery: We encourage children to take ownership of their learning. Whether building, creating, or role-playing, children make decisions supported by expert adults.
• Purposeful Design: Resources reflect our children’s interests and diverse backgrounds, providing meaningful experiences that encourage them to take risks and try new things.

Learning and Development: How We Shine

At Epsom Primary, learning is a rich tapestry of explicit instruction and implicit discovery. We don't just focus on what children learn, but how they learn.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL)

We integrate the CoEL into every interaction to ensure our children become powerful, lifelong learners:

• Playing and Exploring (Engagement): We encourage children to "have a go," investigate their surroundings, and play with what they know.
• Active Learning (Motivation): We cultivate deep concentration and resilience, helping children keep trying even when they encounter difficulties.
• Creating and Thinking Critically (Thinking): We support children in having their own ideas, making links between concepts, and choosing their own ways to do things.

The Seven Areas of Learning

We focus on the Prime Areas to ensure a strong foundation:

• PSED: Building self-regulation, independence, and empathy.
• Communication & Language: Developing listening skills and a rich vocabulary.
• Physical Development: Refining both gross and fine motor skills.

These bridge into Specific Areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts & Design, ensuring our children are creative problem-solvers.

A Warm Welcome: Transition from Home

The journey to seeing your child shine begins with you. We offer several ways to build a vital bridge of trust:

• One Page Profiles: Shared during the summer to help us prepare for your child’s unique needs.
• Stay and Play: Small group sessions to familiarise your child with the environment alongside a familiar adult.
• Home & Class Visits: Face-to-face time to establish positive relationships early on.

Our Nursery Team & Structure

Positive relationships are the heart of our provision. Each child is assigned a Key Person to ensure emotional security. Our team, led by an experienced teacher, is driven by a desire to help every child reach their potential every day.

Our Ethos in Action: By nurturing independence, celebrating individuality, and embedding the characteristics of effective learning, we ensure that at Epsom Primary, every person shines.

We warmly invite families to visit our school and experience our inspiring learning community. Tours provide the opportunity to explore our newly developed provision, reflecting our commitment to outstanding learning environments. To arrange a visit, please contact the school office. We look forward to welcoming you.

Epsom Primary Nursery offers high-quality, teacher-led nursery places for children ages 2-4 years

Our Nursery Offer

We have capacity for 52 children in a session and we offer 15 hours or 30 hours. Our sessions are Monday - Wednesday am or Wednesday pm to Friday. We also offer full time places when pupils are ready to attend all week in preparation for starting reception.

Two Year Olds - First Steps

Since September 2014 Epsom Primary and Nursery School has been offering Early Education for Two Years Olds in a dedicated provision called First Steps.

Spaces are limited and are a mix of Government Funded, FEET (Free Early Education for Two Year Olds) places and private, paid for places. To find out if you are eligible for FEET funding, click the link below; https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/children/support-and-advice/families/childcare/help-with-childcare-costs/qualify/feet