Early Years
We'll shape your daughter's future through an exceptional start in Nursery and Reception at NHSG.
Dream making to Trailblazing
Starting in Nursery or Reception is a big step for your daughter and for you. You want to be sure that your daughter is going to be in the safest of hands and receives the best possible support as she makes the transition into school life.
When your daughter turns three, she can join us in Nursery, before progressing to Reception. It’s our unshakeable belief that it’s during these important years that the seeds will be sown for all her future learning, and at NHSG she couldn’t have a better start.
It’s during these early years that your daughter will question, explore and develop a real thirst for knowledge that will stand her in good stead for the rest of her life. She'll also begin to become independent, and her confidence will soar, under the expert guidance of our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) specialist teaching team.
Working closely with you and your daughter, we’ll make sure she develops and progresses at exactly the right pace for her. And of course, you can take comfort knowing she’s happy, and being watched over and nurtured by friendly and caring teachers and teaching assistants with a wealth of experience.
Outstanding teaching and learning combined with our wonderful Early Years environment will ensure that your daughter’s first steps into school will be the best possible. She’ll make excellent progress and, equally importantly, her first years in school will be joyful, exciting and very good fun!
Parent of a Nursery pupil
We made the best decision in sending her to this fantastic school. The nursery sessions are exciting and fun; my daughter particularly loves her weekly Spanish lesson. The teaching staff are second to none; approachable and nurturing, whilst also providing the guidance and support the girls need to thrive. My daughter's confidence soared within weeks of starting the nursery at NHSG.
A learning journey of discovery.
Girls flourish when they can explore, investigate and engage with the world around them, following their own interests and developing exciting new ones. In Nursery and Reception, we’ll spark your daughter’s natural curiosity and capture her imagination through our exciting curriculum. Your daughter will find her voice and develop her own passions even at this tender age.
Following the educational programmes set out within the Statutory EYFS framework, your daughter will learn through a careful balance of play and focused teaching in our wonderful Early Years learning environment.
Her communication and language, and physical, personal, social and emotional development will be prioritised from day one. She'll also make rapid progress with those all-important literacy and mathematical skills, learning to read, write and build solid foundations in mathematics through playful small group activities and focused lessons. Through our bespoke curriculum, based on high quality texts and creative stimuli, she will learn to understand the world and express herself artistically.
Thank you all so much for taking great care of my daughter in her first term. She’s had an amazing experience in Nursery 1 and her introduction in to NHSG has been such a lovely time for her. Thank you for making it so special for us both.
Parent of a Nursery pupil
There's so much more at NHSG.
As an Independent School we are able to provide many opportunities to enrich your daughter’s learning experience, going beyond the statutory framework to include specialist teaching in Forest School, Music, Spanish and PE.
Our exceptional environment means that we can deliver a wide range of multisensory experiences through indoor and outdoor learning that will allow your daughter to experience learning that is memorable and fun.
Our co-curriculum opportunities grow with your daughter, and, as well as trips to explore the wider world, when your daughter reaches Reception she’ll be able to join the school choir and take part in a selection of active after school clubs finishing at the earlier time of 4.00 p.m. This ensures that your daughter will be able to experience the co-curricular offer at NHSG without getting too tired after her busy day in the classroom.
You won’t want to miss a moment of your daughter’s learning journey which is why we will be working in close partnership with you and sharing all your daughter’s successes while she is in Nursery or Reception through our online learning journal. You’ll be amazed by how much your daughter will progress.
Bringing out your daughter's unique personality.
Excellent pastoral care underpins our EYFS experience. Every girl is treated as an individual and we will help to bring out your daughter’s unique personality while developing her skills and self-confidence. Girls are praised for effort whilst being encouraged to take risks and learn from mistakes and there’s a strong emphasis on characteristics such as resilience, bravery, kindness, relationships and care for others.
Our EYFS staff team are central to our pastoral care and your daughter will learn about issues that are meaningful to her through circle times, group discussions and quality texts in a warm and supportive environment.
As part of the girls’ personal, social and emotional development we actively encourage a positive approach to wellbeing and healthy living through our PSHE curriculum. Plenty of fresh air, exercise and a healthy diet also underpin our wellbeing philosophy, and our catering partner, Holroyd Howe, offers high-quality nutritional menus.
Everything your daughter needs for the best start.
Your daughter's first days at school will be spent in the most stunning learning environment. You could not ask for a more perfect start! Situated within our Junior School in Sandyford, set in beautiful grounds, extending to five acres, we are able to offer a truly unique setting providing a safe and exciting learning space.
Here, our superbly resourced Nursery and Reception classrooms are designed to stimulate your daughter’s creative thinking and joy of leaning, and our enabling environment is carefully created to allow girls the greatest opportunity to play and investigate alongside caring and experienced teaching staff.
Situated on the ground floor, our classrooms also open straight out into a safe outdoor learning space and our teaching and learning activities see the girls using both indoor and outdoor resources to support learning across the curriculum throughout the day.
We like the girls to have a rich variety of outdoor experiences so, as well as being their own designated learning areas, we regularly explore our wonderful grounds opening up a wealth of opportunities to learn outdoors in the natural world.
After school and holiday care? No problem.
Balancing work and family commitments is never easy. That’s why NHSG offers wraparound care before and after school, and during the holidays, providing reassurance to parents with busy lives that their daughters will be in safe hands.
After School Every Day
We know how important wraparound care is. Seahorse After School Club is here from 8.00 a.m. until registration begins and from the end of the school day until 6.00 p.m. We help girls prepare for the day ahead and then round off the school day with fun activities.
Seahorse Holiday Club
Making plans for childcare can be a challenge during the school holidays, but, when your daughter joins NHSG, you can be sure that our Seahorse Holiday Club is there to support you when you need it. Operating for the majority of the school holidays during the week and from 8.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m., your holiday cover worries will be over.
The charges for our Seahorse After School Club and Holiday Club are shown in the fees section on this website.
Open Days. See for yourself.
The best way for you and your daughter to gain a real sense of everything NHSG can offer in our EYFS environment is by visiting us during one of our Open Days, or, if more suitable, to arrange a private visit. As well as viewing our excellent facilities, you'll be able to meet members of our experienced EYFS team and our wonderful pupils, and find out in more detail how your daughter can flourish at NHSG.
Making sure your daughter has a flying start in Nursery and Reception.
Mrs Emma Barnett
Head of Junior School
My role is to bring our vision of academic excellence, learning and innovation in the Junior School to life and the Early Years are absolutely critical to this. I work closely with Mrs Gibson and the EYFS team, to ensure they have everything required to deliver an outstanding EYFS provision, from the physical environment and classroom resources to teacher training and support.
Mrs Louise Gibson
EYFS Lead
I am passionate about making sure our pupils’ first years at school are both joyful and memorable. My role is to ensure that our EYFS curriculum is the best it can be for our youngest girls and to support the EYFS team to deliver this through teaching and learning of the highest quality. I strongly believe in working hand in hand with parents to ensure that every girl is reaching her full potential in Nursery and Reception and that she is having the most amazing time doing so.
School travel made easy.
The school run can be stressful. Our reliable, fully chaperoned, school mini-bus service offers a variety of routes from across the region, and can be as flexible as you need it to be. Our early years travellers love the experience! We even run a shuttle bus service between our Junior and Senior School sites. Our school bus service also helps to reduce the numbers of cars on the road (which our planet will thank us for).
Term dates.
It's always helpful to know when the School terms start and finish, as well as the holiday periods.
Educational Nursery Provision - Termly Fees
The EYFS fees are set to allow parents flexibility and examples are given below. Fees will therefore be calculated in response to your specific requirements.
Term pupil turns 3 years
Academic year 2026-27
No charge +
*Part time
Academic year 2026-27
(after deducting 15 hours free early education grant)
£0
**Full time
Academic year 2025-26
(after deducting 15 hours free early education grant)
£1,620
(after deducting 30 hours free early education grant)
£0
**Full time
Academic year 2025-26
(without early education funding applied)
£3,240
Milk
No charge
Morning Snack
Academic year 2026-27
£1.60/day (pre-booked)
£2.00/day (unbooked)
Lunch
Academic year 2026-27
£4.95/day (pre-booked)
£5.50/day (unbooked)
+ Your daughter can join our Nursery from the day of her third birthday and, from that date, until the last day of that school term, no Nursery educational fees will be payable. Nursery educational fees will only become applicable from the beginning of the term after pupils turn 3 years old, so, for example, if your daughter's 3rd birthday is on the 20th September, there will be no Nursery educational fees due in the Autumn Term, and they will only start to be due from the start of the Spring Term. Lunch and milk fees, if applicable, will be charged for that term based on the number of days they are taken. Fees for wrap-around and holiday care provision will be applicable for all pupils in accordance with the schedule below.
All girls can attend Nursery on a part-time basis for a minimum of five educational sessions per week. We do encourage full-time attendance from as soon as possible to ensure that the girls benefit fully from our educational offer.
*Part-time Nursery fees shown are based on five, three hour sessions per week. Your daughter can attend for more than five sessions per week depending on your requirements
**Full-time Nursery fees are based on ten, three hour sessions per week and assuming three terms of equal length per annum (actual fees will vary according to the number of days in each term)
As NHSG is an approved childcare provider you can benefit from the Government’s early education and child care funding providing, from September 2025, up to 30 hours per week of fully funded childcare. For more information, please visit Childcare Choices or call our admissions team to discuss your requirements and eligibility.
Termly Tuition Fees - Reception
Terms up to and including pupil's 5th Birthday
Academic year 2026-27
(after deducting 15 hours free early education grant)
£2,234* (equating to £193.73/wk)
(after deducting 30 hours free early education grant)
£319* (equating to £27.68/wk)
Terms after pupil's 5th Birthday
Academic year 2026-27
£4,148
Milk
Academic year 2026-27
£0.40/day (pre-booked)
£0.50/day (unbooked)
(no charge if under 5)
Morning Snack
Academic year 2026-27
£1.60/day (pre-booked)
£2.00/day (unbooked)
Lunch
Academic year 2026-27
£286/term (pre-booked)
£5.50/day (unbooked)
Lunch is compulsory from the term after a pupil’s 5th birthday
*assuming three terms of equal length per annum (actual fees will very according to the number of days in each term)
Wrap around provision – Nursery and Reception
Wrap Around Hours
Academic year 2026-2027
08:00-09:00 and 15:00 - 18:00
£3.10 per half hour or part thereof (prebooked)
£5:20 per half hour or part thereof (unbooked)
After School Club Snack
Academic year 2026-2027
£3.50
Seahorse Club
For bookings of three or more days in any week, charges will be discounted to £37 per day
Academic year 2026-2027
Age 3-4
Full Day (09.00 - 15.00)
£52.00 (prebooked)
£57 (unbooked)
For prebookings of three - four days in any week, charges will be discounted to £45 per day or £37 per day, if booking for five days in the same week. (Unbooked would be £50 and £42 respectively)
Age 5-13
Full Day (09.00 - 15.00)
£44.00 (prebooked)
£49 (unbooked)
For prebookings of three or more days in any week, charges will be discounted to £37 per day or £31 per day, if booking for five days in the same week. (Unbooked would be £42 and £36 respectively)
Hours outside the standard day will be charged in accordance with the Wrap Around Hours rates. Seahorse Club operates between 08.00 - 17.00 during specified holiday periods.
Late Collection Charges
Academic year 2026-2027
Up to 15 minutes - £25.00
16 - 30 minutes - £35.00
31 - 45 minutes - £45.00
46 - 60 minutes - £55.00
After 60 minutes - £100.00
VAT
The rates quoted above are inclusive of VAT, where applicable.
Before and after school
Our Early Years hours for educational provision are:
09:00 - 15.00 for Nursery
08:45 - 15:15 for Reception
During term time, Nursery and Reception girls can arrive before school from 08.00 and will be supervised in our wrap around provision in line with the charges outlined above.
After school, unless collected within 10 minutes of the scheduled finish time for their year-group or attending a club or extra-curricular activity, girls will go into supervised After School Club where After School Club charges will apply.*
*except in the following circumstances:
- pupil is pre-booked and waiting for school transport departing at 16:00 or 16:15
- pupil is pre-booked and waiting for a club or extra-curricular activity commencing at 16:00
- pupil is waiting to be collected at the normal finish time of an older sibling in Junior School
Before and after school club hours can be funded using childcare vouchers.
Before and after school care is charged (at the pre-booked or unbooked rate, as appropriate) for a minimum duration of 30 minutes per session. After 30 minutes, charges accrue per minute.
Seahorse Club
Seahorse Club is our holiday care provision, which we operate for a minimum of 47 weeks per year, based in our Early Years and ASC setting at our Junior School site. The provision is run using members of our Junior School staff team and offers weekly themed daycare for our younger pupils in familiar surroundings with staff who are well-known to them. We are able to accept childcare vouchers for all of our wrap-around provision and upto 3 weeks and 2 days’ worth of Early Years Funding (at either 15 hours per week or 30 hours per week, as applicable, according to eligibility), each year, may be used towards attendance at Seahorse Club.
Please note:
Educational Fees cover tuition as part of the regular curriculum, textbooks and specialist materials.
Nursery and Reception fees do not cover any trips, extra-curricular activities or tuition for optional extra subjects, which are charged for directly by the School or the self-employed peripatetic teacher. The costs of stationery and school equipment are also additional to the fees.
Additional charges may be applicable for certain co and extra curricular activities, clubs, fixtures, trips and events, information about which will be provided to parents, in advance, from time to time, as necessary.
Tuition fees do not include School lunches. From September 2025, school lunch for Nursery and Reception pupils will be optional until the start of the term after their fifth birthday. Optional school lunches may be ordered in advance at the rates shown in the above table.
Sibling discount
Families enrolling a third or subsequent daughter at any GDST school are eligible for a 20% fee reduction for the third and all subsequent siblings. This discount becomes applicable to the third and subsequent daughters (the qualifying pupils) as long as three or more daughters from the same family are attending a GDST school at the same time. Once awarded, the reduction remains in place until the qualifying pupil(s) leaves the school, even if the number of enrolled siblings later falls below three. Full details, including eligibility criteria, can be found in our Sibling Discount Policy.
Payment of fees
Fees must be paid for by the Bank Direct Debit system.*
Fees are charged monthly in advance for pre-booked sessions and monthly in arrears for additional sessions and items.
Registration fee
There is a Registration Fee of £30 for applications from British and Irish pupils to cover administration costs.
The International Registration Fee for pupils who are not British or Irish is £360 to cover the costs of administration and UKVI compliance. The Registration Fee or International Registration Fee is not applicable for pupils joining before the term after their 5th birthday.
The Initial International Enrolment Fee, for pupils requiring visa sponsorship, is £3,240 to cover the costs of administration and UKVI compliance (for pupils receiving an offer after 1st September 2025).
Acceptance fee
A Deposit of £500 is charged on the acceptance of a place for British and Irish pupils, and is held until the pupil leaves the School. It will be refunded as soon as is reasonably practicable after this and, in any case, no later than 12 weeks after the end of term, less any outstanding fees or additional charges due to the School. It is forfeit if a pupil is withdrawn after the place has been accepted.
For international pupils requiring visa sponsorship, and receiving an offer after 1st September 2025, the International Deposit is charged on acceptance and is a term’s fees as set out in the table above and will be held until the pupil leaves the School. It will be refunded as soon as is reasonably practicable after this and, in any case, no later than 12 weeks after the end of term, less any outstanding fees or additional charges due to the School. It is forfeit if a pupil is withdrawn after the place has been accepted.
In addition, for international pupils requiring visa sponsorship, the Initial International Enrolment Fee, as well as the first term’s fees and a term’s lunch fees will need to be paid before sponsorship is assigned.
* For pupils requiring visa sponsorship, fees must be paid termly in advance.
NOTE: This website is for information only and does not form part of any contract between the parents and the Girls’ Day School Trust. This is because the information has necessarily been prepared well in advance of entry of a pupil to the school and inevitably there may be subsequent alterations.
