Balham Nursery School
Local authority nursery nursery school in London (Wandsworth).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Welcome to those who are new to the area or know little about the school, Balham is the oldest of the three state nursery schools in Wandsworth. The school was set up just over 80 years ago by members of the local community and others dedicated to the principles of nursery education.
Our building in Endlesham Road was bought by public subscription and amongst those who made donations were the late Queen Mary, the then Major and Mrs Clement Attlee and Lady Megan Lloyd George. The school was officially opened on the 23rd May 1935 by Lady Astor, the first woman to become an MP.
Today, like other schools in Wandsworth, Balham Nursery School (BNS) is funded by the Wandsworth Borough Council. We are recognised by the Department for Education (DfE) and as such it is staffed by qualified teachers and nursery nurses and supported by ancillary staff.
On 1 April 2021, BNS joined with Eastwood Nursery School in Roehampton to form The Wandsworth Federation of Maintained Nursery Schools. In April 2022, Somerset Nursery School in Battersea joined the Federation. Parents are represented on the Federation Governing Body.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
4 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Book Club
- Mindfulness
- Music
- Yoga
Awards
3 awardsiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- UNICEF Rights Respecting SchoolsChildren's rights
- Healthy SchoolsHealth and wellbeing
- Sing UpRecognised award
Key facts
- URN
- 100990
- Type
- Local authority nursery school
- Phase
- Nursery
- Ages
- 2 to 5
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery
- Has Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Wandsworth
- Constituency
- Tooting
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Governing body (9 current, 2 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Rosamund Hawley | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr François Marshal | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Ms Esther White | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Ms Letitia Higgs | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Nonkuthalo Thiti | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Robert Firth | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2028 |
| Mr Alex Baker | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Ms Charlotte Hackney | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Councillor Annamarie Critchard | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Miss Laura Chapman Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Russell Howard Former | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record