Welcome toForest Alliance of Nursery Schools
What we are
Margaret Mcmillan founded Low Hall Nursery School in 1929. Church Hill Nursery School opened in 1971. In 2014 the two schools joined together as the Forest Alliance of Nursery Schools (FANS for short). Our name celebrates how close we are to the glories of Epping Forest.
As schools, our business is education, not profit. We base all our decisions on the education of the children. This goes from how we assess children and report to parents, to how we manage snacks.
As nursery schools, our business is early education, not Phonics tests or SATS.
Read more about this on our Why is a maintained nursery school special? page.
Our aim
We don’t just get children 'school ready', we get them ready for life-long learning.
The best early education
Our staff are both experienced and highly-qualified. Each week they think about what the individual children need, and plan the meaningful activities which will help them learn. Each day they spend having high-quality interactions with the children. They model concepts and extend the children's language. This is all built around what children love: play!
How we deliver
We organise and furnish our building and garden for play. The education we deliver has four pillars: the evidence-based theories of Margaret McMillan, Friedrich Fröbel, Lev Vygotsky, and the Reggio Emilia Educational Project.
To this strong foundation, we add the latest in early years thinking: the East London Research School, the Education Endowment Foundation, and the Forest School Association.
Find out more about what, how, and why we teach this way on the Curricular Goals and pedagogy page.
Ofsted and parents say
Ofsted tells us we are both 'Outstanding': Church Hill Ofsted Report and Low Hall Ofsted Report.
In our Summer 2024 Family Survey, people said:
"Church Hill Nursery is a friendly, welcoming and inclusive setting where children thrive. I am thrilled that my child has the opportunity to attend this nursery, and am so grateful to all the staff for everything they do to support her physically, emotionally and academically. Staff at Church Hill clearly have a thorough understanding of early child development, and are outstanding at preparing children for primary school."
"All the staff are really good at their jobs and are so welcoming when children come to nursery. Since my daughter has been coming to Low Hall she has learnt so much and is so happy to be going to nursery. I'm pleased I chose this nursery for my daughter."
Inclusivity in practice
We welcome everyone from all faiths and none, from all cultures, and with the widest range of needs.
We ensure the very best for every child, regardless of their starting point, tailoring learning to each child’s specific needs.
Working together
All children in our schools have a key person. They plan for a child's learning, take care of them, and are the link between nursery and home. We work in partnership with you to ensure that your child will make fantastic progress. Our aim is that they become independent, make friends, and love to come to nursery every day.
Read our Settling in information to make a good start.
We always want to hear what parents have to say so that we can improve, and so that we know what we are doing well. Learn how on our Comments and compliments, concerns and complaints page.
Our community
We want to improve the education of all Waltham Forest children, not just those who come to our schools. To do this, we work hard to share our practice with other settings in the borough. We provide support and training through the Waltham Forest Early Years training programme and through our partnership work with the WF teaching school hub.
Helen Currie (Executive Headteacher)
Latest News
News
Church Hill
Low Hall
Tue 22nd Apr
Forest School Fridays at Low Hall
Mon 27th Jan
Visiting Day cancelled
Thu 19th Dec
Have a lovely holiday. See you on the 8th January
Thu 19th Dec
Have a lovely holiday. See you on the 8th January
SEND experts the Witherslack group have made a pack of activities to bring joy (or at least keep busy in empty moments) over the holidays. Sign up and download yours at:
Church Hill Nursery School
Tue 17th Dec|17/12/24
https://www.facebook.com/280340255458719/posts/2494391924053530/Church Hill Nursery School
Thu 22nd Jun|22/06/23
#kidskitchencollective
The Forest Alliance of Nursery Schools is sad to hear of the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. She was an amazing role model to the nation and her family. Her children and grandchildren and all who feel sad today are in our thoughts.
A few parents have asked about if the nurseries will be closed for a day of mourning. We, like all schools, will follow the national protocol when they are announced to the public.Church Hill Nursery School
Fri 9th Sep|09/09/22
Come and play! Visiting Day starts again on Tuesday 4th October,10-11.30am. Get your tickets at
Church Hill Nursery School
Thu 8th Sep|08/09/22
https://www.witherslackgroup.co.uk/support-and-events/
For any families with neurodiverse children and other SEND situations, these webinars provide practical advice about broader things such as happy school holidays, working well with schools and managing sibling relationships, as well as specific things like visual calendars, and the helpfulness of protein-based snacksChurch Hill Nursery School
Tue 19th Jul|19/07/22
Hugely proud of our wonderful team of teachers and early years educators and children for this wonderful report published today. It will be on the Ofsted website in 8 working days so here's a snippet to wet your appetite!
Some of these free things are in London and some online. Not all are for children, but self-care is good to model as part of our parenting!
Church Hill Nursery School
Tue 7th Jun|07/06/22
9 September 2022
The Forest Alliance of Nursery Schools is sad to hear of the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. She was an amazing role model to the nation and her family. Her children and grandchildren and all who feel sad today are in our thoughts. A few parents have asked about if the nurseries will be closed for a day of mourning. We, like all schools, will follow the national protocol when they are announced to the public.
24 June 2022
Hugely proud of our wonderful team of teachers and early years educators and children for this wonderful report published today. It will be on the Ofsted website in 8 working days so here's a snippet to wet your appetite!
2 March 2022
Helen's office is unusually (*cough) messy today as she creates bags of play sets for our families involved in our We Play project. What's inside I wonder...
27 May 2021
Rest in peace Eric Carle. Wonderful author to generations of inspired children x
5 May 2020
Some afternoon fun
31 March 2020
I sense that my children may be a little tired of the lock in situation. It's a house monster.
23 January 2020
Such lovely work at Church Hill many thanks to @maudmilton and her wonderful team
9 January 2020
Some really fascinating transient art inspired by Reggio and Land Art today at #newhamEY conference. Can you guess which sculptures are entitled Surround and which are called Line?
11 November 2019
Even more @maudmilton beauties to be seen at Church Hill Nursery School. Thanks @wfculture19 #thanksmaud #mosaics #mosaicschool
5 November 2019
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make our fabulous mosaics, especially @maudmilton and her amazing team who taught us all so much! Look out for more to come later next week #mosaics #mosaicschool #maudmilton #saveournurseryschools
2 April 2025
This week at Forest School we used hammers to create a wonderful nature print - we hammered things we found in our own Forest School site to make prints onto fabric. We noticed the different colours and talked about the shapes and patterns on the different leaves and flowers. #awesomestow #forestschool #walthamstow #walthamstowparents #stjamesbiglocal #e17 #earlyeducation #nurserylife #walthamforest #markhouseroad #lowhall
21 March 2025
At Low Hall Nursery School our creativity is led and inspired by our Headteacher, an artist herself. We use a diverse range of contemporary artists to inspire our work. We do not believe in children creating matching artwork based upon what an adult likes - we provide inspiration, resources, encouragement and then celebrate what the child makes. As technology and our world changes, creativity, problem solving and original thinking are key skills to foster in our children so they are ready for the future! #walthamstow #walthamstowmums #walthamforest #futureartist #futureleaders #creativity #stjamese17 #stjamesbiglocal #earlyeducation #eyfs #nurserye17
21 March 2025
Maths is so much more meaningful when explored through play. At Low Hall Nursery School we believe in focus children, not focus activities. We are a skilled team of dedicated adults who take the learning to the child and follow their interests - building brain connections as we play. Play is cross curricular and motivating for young children. We pride ourselves on the high quality of our interactions. Come and see for yourself. We have play sessions every Thursday afternoon - call the school to secure a free place. Childcare AND EDUCATION #walthamstow #walthamforest #earlyeducation #learningthroughplay #stjamesbiglocal #stjamese17 #highqualityeducation #nurserye17 #nurseryeducation
21 March 2025
At Low Hall Nursery School, our mathematics goal is for children to leave our school able to follow a pictorial recipe card. The develops lots of skills - numeral recognition, ability to count actions and spots, measuring skills, scientific knowledge as ingredients change, appreciation for different flavours, textures and tastes, teamwork skills and many more.... We are always cooking at Low Hall Nursery School. We love sharing the delicious foods during our snack time too. We have stay and play sessions on Thursday afternoons - call the school to book a free play session. #earlylearning #walthamstow #stjamesbiglocal #stjamese17 #futurechefs #walthamstowparents
16 May 2024
Forest School fun at Low Hall @
16 November 2023
Low Hall Nursery School has been upgraded by ofsted to OUTSTANDING! Read the wonderful report here: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50233137 Please visit our website to book in for stay and play sessions or to enquire about a place for your child. #outstandingearlyyears #ourstandingnursery #soproud #dreamteam #walthamstow #walthamforest #awesomestow #markhouseroade17 #stjamesstreet #stjamesstreetbiglocal
9 November 2023
Hot chocolate made on the fire at Forest School - yummy! #walthamforest #walthamstow #earlyyears #forestschool #mns
9 November 2023
Forest School Sessions are well under way at Low Hall! We are using tools, pond dipping, taking risks and learning about the world we live in #walthamstow #stjamesstreete17 #earlylearning
21 December 2021
Outdoor colour mixing! #colourmixing #engagedlearners #linkedlearning #eyfsmatters #play
21 December 2021
We made our own paint recipe cards by counting scoops required to make the perfect new colours! #scientist #colourmixing #earlymaths #engagedlearners
Church Hill Low Hall
14th Jun
Low Hall Nursery School stay and play at Visiting Day | TICKETLAB https://t.co/opyE8DX3j2
Church Hill Low Hall
7th Jun
Time to thank my partner, @CarolineVollans This honour is just as much about the people around me. Caroline’s support, incisive intelligence and love are at the heart of everything I do. With love to Caroline and thanks from the deepest place in my heart. https://t.co/FW3eGmluVp
Church Hill Low Hall
7th Jun
Time to thank my partner, @CarolineVollans This honour is just as much about the people around me. Caroline’s support, incisive intelligence and love are at the heart of everything I do. With love to Caroline and thanks from the deepest place in my heart. https://t.co/FW3eGmluVp
Church Hill Low Hall
7th Jun
@juliangrenier informed us that the honour bestowed on him is a CBE. Huge congratulations Julian. https://t.co/E1sf4fRF9o
Church Hill Low Hall
21st Sep
My eldest son (year 7) just asked if he could watch The Goop Lab on @netflix He was disappointed to find it was not about making slime. Maybe next series Gwyneth Paltrow?
Church Hill Low Hall
14th Jul
Today, all our students and staff held a minutes applause in support of @BukayoSaka87 @Sanchooo10 and @MarcusRashford to drown out the racial hatred and derogatory treatment they have faced since representing their country at Euro 2020 https://t.co/UQNi1UFxTw
Church Hill Low Hall
26th May
Join the Speech, Language and Communication Early Years Summit for free! Online between the 31st May and 6th June, it features 30 expert speakers from the field of Speech, Language, and Communication for a week of online talks. https://t.co/BfL1TsS4Vk @BEYNetworks #earlyyears https://t.co/9RgOyJKPCE
Church Hill Low Hall
26th May
Can anyone in #earlyyears help with this? #menopause ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/O0Wg5EZzCm
Church Hill Low Hall
11th May
If #MitchellsvsTheMachines doesn’t win best picture Oscar next year I’m moving to Mars.
Church Hill Low Hall
11th May
Thought we all agreed to #protectTheNhs not torture it? https://t.co/XqxsIRMSkZ
Church Hill Low Hall
2nd May
Cats love the valerian in our organic Night Time tea, have you noticed this with your moggy? #NationalCatDay https://t.co/TfkCeL9WIB
Church Hill Low Hall
27th Apr
Count binface nailing it again with his mayoral manifesto. Significantly more credible than Shaun Bailey’s https://t.co/56kqoSWqCM
Church Hill Low Hall
27th Apr
After @GavinWilliamson sneaked out a change to the Pupil Premium calculation, I got busy, Foi requesting data & working out the impact on schools & councils After a reply from Oldham, I can now show Greater Manchester schools will lose £10 million in PP funding this year https://t.co/SPjpFg9Ml6
Church Hill Low Hall
27th Apr
Congratulations to @RIBA’s recent commissioned practices @SpacePopular and @nimtim_arch, plus shortlisted practice for our Becontree Centenary commission RESOLVE, on featuring amongst 109 emerging British practices in New Architects 4 by @ArchFoundation https://t.co/HYUtA3Nckc
Church Hill Low Hall
16th Apr
I pray each day that every human being, indeed every sentient being, should be happy. So, if you come across individuals facing problems, help them. Share their problems and try to bring them peace of mind. Wherever you live, try to create a happy community.
Church Hill Low Hall
26th Mar
@walthamstowNS Thanks Helen - shame he didn't draw me eating a doughnut!
Church Hill Low Hall
26th Mar
Do you know any 4-year-olds? Do you think they should be formally tested in English and maths when they first start school? Watch some 4 year olds in action and sign our petition: https://t.co/EWrjx2pqnt https://t.co/k1adPKxVRl
Church Hill Low Hall
25th Mar
My 5yo nephew drew this picture of me. The accuracy of the eyelashes has had me chuckling all morning. And I have no idea when I’ve ever worn such a bright and flowery headscarf. I love that I can see how he interprets things through his drawings. P.s. he calls me khala-moni https://t.co/fkpAaTdpI5
Church Hill Low Hall
25th Mar
Maintained Nursery Schools urgently need the 6 year long funding consultation to come to an end with a full funding solution to save them now for future generations. There is no better way to support children at this crucial point.#SaveOurNurseries #FundEarlyYears @TulipSiddiq https://t.co/oavGPXn2NF
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