Who we are
Our Nursery is a pre-school home from home set in a beautiful historic building, with masses of outdoor space, in the heart of Reading and a stone’s throw from both the Royal Berks and University. We offer a wonderful nurturing atmosphere and a quality learning experience tailored specifically for girls, so that from their first days they are learning to explore with freedom in a way perfectly suited to them.
Our setting is Knell House – our rooms are bright, airy, well-resourced and full of fun and continuous play all day long. Outside we have a spectacular huge garden and learning space, full of greenery, nestled under the shelter of the spire of Christ Church. Every day is intended to evoke inspiration through awe, wonder and curiosity. We aim to cultivate a deep and long lasting joy of learning, together with close, personal ties with the whole family.

Happy faces, inquisitive souls, creative minds
Girls’ learning environment - why?
We are proud to be the start of the educational journey for one of the country’s foremost independent girls’ schools: The Abbey. We passionately believe in the unique benefits of girls-only education.
Our setting is free from any stereotypical gender bias. Our children choose any toy, any resource, any activity and express themselves freely. They learn to be leaders, friends and team-mates, but above all they learn to be gloriously themselves.


The benefits of this approach have been proven by peer-reviewed research, supported by our many decades’ experience as educationalists. Boys and girls learn differently and boys tend to absorb a disproportionate amount of direct teaching attention.
The evidence shows that when girls are in an environment built for them, they make freer choices of what they want to do and how they want to act. Most tellingly, following on from single-sex education, girls are more assertive in mixed company. Our girls do not have to learn to have their voices heard: they know, from their very first day in nursery, that their voice will be heard. This gives them self-belief that lasts lifelong.

Our curriculum is holistic, innovative and tailored to support young children’s development. It is based on our expertise in helping girls from 3 to 18 reach higher levels of achievement and have the confidence to apply their talent in the real world. Every day they see positive role models among their peers and in the adults with whom they interact. The pivotal stepping stone from home into our Nursery setting, and the onward exciting Junior School path, engenders a culture of creativity and encourages your daughters to be the best they can possibly be – regardless of their gender. Looking after girls growing up confidently in today’s world is what we do best, and their time in our Nursery is transformational to the way in which they learn and grow.


Plentiful opportunities for social and emotional growth
Education environment - why?

As part of our admissions process, we explore your daughter’s readiness to settle into our Nursery and enjoy our unique environment designed to develop firm foundations in learning. We focus upon quality educational experiences through play. Our Nursery experience nurtures new ideas, scientific inquiry, artistic confidence and expressive fluency, which in turn develops a wonderful sense of ourselves.
This prepares girls perfectly for school education. At the Junior School we run one of the country’s finest educational programmes: the Human Intelligence curriculum. This is all about learning with purpose: solving problems, spotting connections and developing imagination. Alongside that we offer The Abbey Ideas and Passion: all the things we do to take students off the beaten path and help them become explorers who lead their own learning. Time in our Nursery will equip girls to throw themselves into any school environment with joy and excitement and go on to thrive.

Weather suits and welly boots - always ready to enjoy our outdoor space
Curriculum
Our Nursery curriculum is guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage. Students develop core skills in Communication and Language as well as their Physical Development. We aim high to support your daughter’s academic and personal development, with a daily focus on literacy and maths learning, alongside plentiful opportunities for social and emotional growth.
Our language-rich environment encourages the development and progression of all our young learners. Initial focus on Phonics is developed through oracy and aural skills; a knowledge of sounds is developed through encouragement of active listening. ‘Helicopter Stories’ are just one creative opportunity to develop skills as oral storytellers and relay our imagination to peers. Developing Maths skills through daily practical activities encourages connections to be made with numbers in everyday life, as well as structured tasks and learning activities.

Learning and Teaching are approached through a balance of whole class, small group activities and one-to-one working – enabling us to focus on the needs of each child at that time. Developmental milestones may well have typical patterns, but every child is supported as an individual.
Our curriculum is enriched with daily, varied outdoor experiences in our purpose-designed garden, and complemented by excursions within our local community and beyond. Each year, our Nursery children enjoy sharing a form assembly and Nativity production, developing self assurance within their peer group to speak on a stage to a live audience. Benefiting from the facilities and teaching expertise of specialist teachers in Ballet, Music, Sport (including Swimming) and Drama, your daughters enjoy a full and purposeful Nursery experience, which supports their transition to Reception learning with confidence and joy.


Support
We know that entrusting your child into our care can be a hugely challenging time for a family. Children may feel anxious about separation and we recognise it can be hard to let go!
Here at The Abbey our relationships with parents are as crucial as our relationships with the children. We cultivate these through daily interaction as well as targeted curriculum events. We also aim to create social cohesion amongst our parent community, facilitating opportunities for you as parents to spend time together within the Nursery, with your daughters. Nursery parents are part of The Abbey Parents Society (TAPS), so you are welcomed to The Abbey family from your first day.

Wellbeing
The wellbeing of our girls is central to our Nursery experience. Developing meaningful connections between peers and with teachers encourages and creates deep learning links. We seek to nurture core skills and attributes in our young learners, and particularly in their relationships, to build resilience, independence and self-care.
Our Nursery is an open environment where our children express their choices and preferences in a healthy manner, as well as developing consideration for the needs of others. We seek to enhance a good sense of identity and awareness of culture in our immediate and wider community. Care is at the heart of our relationships with one another and our environment. Through regular Personal, Social and Emotional learning sessions, we aim to develop core skills in self-regulating emotions as well as encouragement to express ourselves.
Positive wellbeing on leaving school has a much greater impact on life outcomes than exam success – and our priorities are aligned to provide a balance between academic learning and emotional wellbeing. Each child in our care deserves a dedicated place to learn to care for themselves as individuals, and it is our duty as a school community to provide this. From our Nursery, your daughter will enter Reception as a resilient, healthy and confident individual, ready to embrace the next stage of her learning with a confident sense of self.
Transitioning to Nursery and School

For many families the start of Nursery marks the end of one era, as well as the exciting beginning of a new one! It can be easy as a parent to get caught up in the world of ‘school readiness’ for academic learning. However, here at The Abbey we value experiences, to engender a developing sense of curiosity to understand the world around us. We recognise that every child is on a journey and whilst there are typical developmental milestones, each child will demonstrate individual strengths and skills at her own pace. That is the way to ensure true school readiness: an eagerness to learn and for each child to achieve their own personal best.
Whatever the next step from Nursery, we know our children will go on to school not just ready to learn but ready to take the lead in their learning. Most of our Nursery students will continue on to our Junior School and the Human Intelligence curriculum. It is wonderfully broad and enriching and develops all the skills our young people will need in their secondary education and beyond. Above all it empowers them to understand themselves and find self-motivation and a sense of personal ownership and initiative. They acquire not just the academic rigour and excellence they will need for success in assessment but the independence of mind they will need for success in life.
Above all throughout Nursery we work with you as parents to build tailored next steps for your child’s learning and ensure they are heading towards the best school experience and the one that is right for them.

Little Knellies is the best educational springboard for my daughter
Facilities
Knell House is a warm, stimulating environment for our Nursery girls. It enjoys a wonderful expansive garden with a nature area, all weather surface, adventure playground and bike riding park, all with the stunning architecture of Christ Church as a backdrop. Our recently refurbished classrooms are bright, colourful and welcoming. A broad range of high-quality equipment is available to your daughters as they explore this vast learning environment. At its heart our Nursery Home Room provides a familiar and nurturing learning space, with cosy book corners, role play opportunities, as well as mark making and mathematical areas to develop knowledge and understanding.

Our Art Room is designed with creativity at its heart. Through accessible resources we aim to deliver an experience based upon Early Years’ educational philosophies such as Reggio Emilia, which encourage exploration to foster a child’s innate curiosity and creativity.

Learning and Teaching are approached through a balance of whole class, small group activities and one-to-one working – enabling us to focus on the needs of each child at that time. Developmental milestones may well have typical patterns, but every child is supported as an individual.
Our curriculum is enriched with daily, varied outdoor experiences in our purpose-designed garden, and complemented by excursions within our local community and beyond. Each year, our Nursery children enjoy sharing a form assembly and Nativity production, developing self assurance within their peer group to speak on a stage to a live audience. Benefiting from the facilities and teaching expertise of specialist teachers in Ballet, Music, Sport (including Swimming) and Drama, your daughters enjoy a full and purposeful Nursery experience, which supports their transition to Reception learning with confidence and joy.

The Garden is one of our favourite places to be. Children thrive outdoors – whatever the weather – and especially in our all weather suits and welly boots! Developing a sense of understanding and care for the world around us, together with enjoying the spoils of our labour – through colourful spring floral displays as well as summer harvests – are just some of the many benefits that our Nursery children enjoy. Outdoor learning encourages active, creative and sustainable living, as well as encouraging our children to cherish nature, come rain or shine.

Our Nursery children benefit from regular visits to our facilities in the Junior School, be that sports lessons on the Astroturf or Gymnastics and Dance in our specialist floored hall. We also enjoy visits to our Senior School site to connect our youngest learners with our eldest and to enjoy our stunning school pool!

Workshops, fun events and specialist talks offered to parents
Meet the team
Laura Milligan – Nursery Manager
I joined the Little Knellies family in September 2024. I have been a primary school teacher for the past ten years, teaching from Nursery to Year 4. I have a passion for Early Years and am excited to be stepping into the manager role alongside a wonderful team of practitioners. Little Knellies is so much more than just a nursery and is dedicated to enriching and developing our girls to be empowered, kind citizens. My favourite thing about Little Knellies (apart from the girls) is the specialist lessons, particularly Ballet because they allow the girls to develop their confidence in a fun way.
When I am not at Little Knellies , I love to put my Art degree to good use; painting and taking lots of photographs on woodland walks.


Mel Allard – Deputy Nursery Manager/Room Leader
I joined The Abbey School in February of 2008. Six of those years I spent working in Reception, the rest of the time has been in nursery. The school has seen much evolution, but perhaps the happiest has been the birth of ‘Little Knellies’. We really are a home from home setting and very much like a happy family. They say that the happiest days of your life are spent at school, and I would agree. One thing we have lots of here is fun! I believe there are many qualities you should have to work with children, particularly the very young, and one that I bring to the team is humour. Laughing is so good for the soul, and not much time passes without laughter being heard. My favourite thing to do at Little Knellies is risk play, with a particular interest in wood work. I enjoy watching and supporting the children, taking measured risks and celebrating their success once achieved.
When I am not at work, I enjoy crafting, spending time with my friends and family and going to the theatre.
Shivani Kumar – EYFS Teacher
I began my journey as an Early Years Teacher with Little Knellies at The Abbey School in January 2024. Over the years, I have engaged in various roles related to teaching and creating learning programs for early childhood education. My experience ranges from working as a research coordinator to leading a team of graphic designers and content developers in building Early Years curriculum, spanning diverse settings from rural to corporate sectors. At Little Knellies, I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with the Early Years Team to create memorable and wonderful days for our children. I have a particular passion for outdoor learning, utilising natural materials, and fostering an environment where children lead their own learning and nurture their curiosity about the world around them.When I’m not at Little Knellies, I love spending time with my family, especially learning to bake with my teenage daughter.


Niamh Sheedy – Nursery Assistant
I joined Little Knellies in September 2023 but have been working in childcare for 5 years. My favourite thing about working at Little Knellies is watching the children grow and reach their milestones. I also love my team and the support they give to not only myself but the children as I feel it creates a wonderful atmosphere for the children to learn. When I’m not at Little Knellies, I love spending time with my friends and family and going to festivals.
Dee Lukwayi – Nursery Assistant
I worked as a Teaching Assistant for 2 years and as an HLTA for SEN children in a primary school for 4 years before I joined Little Knellies. In September 2023 I joined Little Knellies mainly to gain experience working with younger children, which has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. The girls’ creativity and imagination sparks when they play, and I love seeing how it inspires and refreshes me. Besides Little Knellies offering girls a higher standard of education and experience, which I have seen from my own daughters, my favourite thing here is the amazing team I work with who are always available when I need them. It’s an honour to be part of this team. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.


Emma Bettes – Nursery Practitioner
I joined the Little Knellies team in June 2024. I have a degree in Early Years which I completed in 2013 and from there I have worked in a variety of different primary schools across the state and independent sectors. My decision to join the Little Knellies team came after my own daughter joined the nursery. I was blown away by the quality of care and detail the staff provided compared to other nurseries and school settings. The welcoming, family atmosphere was something I just had to be a part of. My absolute favourite thing about working at Little Knellies (aside from it being the best, most supportive team ever) are the dance parties. The smiles on the girls’ faces as they dance around and get to be silly is just so wonderful.
When I’m not at Little Knellies, or spending time with my family, I love doing photography. Fun fact: I took a hiatus from the education sector for a while and ran my own photography business. It’s now a hobby and my kids love getting involved with it too.
Dorcas Kofoworola – Nursery Practitioner
I joined the Little Knellies family in November 2024 and am thrilled to be part of such a nurturing and innovative early years environment. My journey as an Early Years Practitioner has been shaped by a deep passion for fostering creativity and curiosity in children. I have a special interest in outdoor learning, inspired by my experience creating a mini-forest school and school garden in a previous setting, where I saw firsthand how connecting with nature enriches children’s learning and development.
My favourite thing about Little Knellies is the strong sense of community and collaboration, where every child is supported to thrive. I particularly enjoy in-the-moment planning that follows children’s interests, encouraging them to explore and develop their ideas in creative ways. Among the specialist lessons, I love activities that bring storytelling to life, as they spark imagination and build confidence.
Outside of work, I enjoy swimming, crafting, and experimenting with new gardening ideas to promote sustainability. I am delighted to bring my passion for hands-on, nature-inspired learning to the wonderful team at Little Knellies.
