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Information pack OCTOBER 2026
Our Ethos Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools Little Habs is part of the Haberdashers’ Elstree Group of Schools. At Habs , our roots lie firmly in our philanthropic founding principles, giving us a deep sense of purpose and responsibility to our community. Our purpose at Habs is simple yet ambitious: to ensure that every student who comes through our doors is empowered to make a profound impact in the world. We want all our students to develop the confidence and capacity to lead, to question, and to contribute meaningfully to society.
Our schools are academically ambitious, and our students are consistently challenged to think beyond the boundaries of any exam curriculum. We encourage them to think deeply, ask questions, and explore ideas. By nurturing intellectual curiosity, we enable students not only to excel in their future studies and achieve their academic potential, but also to cultivate an enduring love of learning that stays with them throughout their lives.
FIND OUT MORE Profound Impact Strategy
here
Founding principles Little Habs is the beginning of this lifelong Habs journey. Babies are born curious — curiosity is the natural heartbeat of childhood learning. It sparks exploration, drives discovery, and forms the foundation for every cognitive milestone a child achieves.
At Habs , we believe that when curiosity is nurtured early, children build stronger problem -solving skills, greater confidence, and a more resilient attitude towards learning. We will be offering carefully designed, age -appropriate environments across three rooms, providing a high -quality early years education that embraces each child’s innate curiosity. Through playful, stimulating and purposeful experiences, we introduce children to learning in a way that feels joyful and fun. By feeding your child’s curiosity from a young age, we lay the foundations for a lifelong love of learning. This early curiosity becomes the cornerstone of the intellectual growth we will continue to nurture as your child hopefully moves through the Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools helping them grow into thoughtful, inquisitive, and capable young people ready to shape the future. .
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Our curriculum At Little Habs , we believe the early years are a child’s first step into the wider world of learning — a place where curiosity takes root and imagination begins to flourish. Children learn best when they are inspired to explore, to play, and to discover, and our approach is designed to nurture the innate sense of wonder that inspires every young mind. Our early years curriculum is broad and ambitious; rooted in the EYFS and enriched with a STEAM -focused approach and forest school -inspired experiences. It offers children meaningful, hands -on opportunities to investigate the world around them. Through nature, play and purposeful exploration, learning becomes joyful, immersive and fun. Our curriculum has been carefully designed to support the holistic development of every child - nurturing their emotional, intellectual, creative, physical and social growth — all within a warm, caring, home -from -home environment where children feel known, supported and celebrated. Woven throughout our provision are our core Habs values. Children are encouraged to grow with courage, explore with curiosity, dream with ambition, and flourish within a strong, supportive community. We aim to cultivate confident learners who are brave enough to try, eager to discover, inspired to achieve and strengthened by the relationships around them. At Little Habs , we offer more than an early years education — we offer the beginning of a learning journey filled with possibility. By nurturing curiosity from the very start, we help children develop a lifelong love of learning and build the foundations for the thoughtful, inquisitive and capable young people they can become.
Hablings
Dashers
Explorers
A calm, cosy, home from -home environment supporting early exploration, sensory play, and the development of secure relationships.
A nurturing, curiosity -led space where children are encouraged to develop independence, language skills, and early problem solving abilities.
A vibrant pre -school environment supporting school readiness through STEAM activities, story telling, outdoor learning, and imaginative play.
These are critical, formative years in a child’s development, when they begin to build trust, curiosity and confidence in the world around them.
As children grow in confidence and awareness, this stage plays an important role in preparing them for the next steps in their educational journey.
We gently nurture each child through this important phase, providing attentive care, stimulating experiences and warm, responsive relationships that help lay the foundations for lifelong learning and wellbeing.
Through playful exploration, supportive guidance and rich learning experiences, we help children build the social, communication and thinking skills that form the foundation for successful learning as they move towards Nursery and beyond.
During this important stage, we place a strong emphasis on preparing children for success in their journey through education and beyond by nurturing their confidence, creativity and love of learning.
(6 months
– 2 years)
(2 – 3 years)
(3 – 4 years)
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Through engaging, hands on experiences and supportive guidance, children develop key skills in communication, collaboration, problem solving and independence; helping them feel prepared, capable and excited as they take their next step into school.
Little Habs will offer carefully designed, age -appropriate environments across three rooms
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Opening times Little Habs will be open all year round. The Nursery will be closed at weekends, on all public bank holidays and for 2 weeks over the Christmas period. Little Habs will provide a flexible year -round offering. There will be two core options:
1. Term -time only 2. Term -time plus+ (flexibility to book additional weeks during the school holidays, if required) Should you wish to secure a Term -time plus+ place at Little Habs please do let us know and we would be happy to discuss this with you.
Nursery hours The core nursery hours will be from 8am -3.45pm. We will not be offering half
-days.
We know that many families may need support with their children outside the core nursery hours. We will additionally be offering: - a breakfast session 7.30am
-8am
- an after -school session 3.45pm
-6pm.
Both these sessions can be booked and paid for in advance.
Days Hablings
(6 months
– 2 years)
Term - time only
We recommend that babies and toddlers are are enrolled for a minimum of 2 days a week and that this be for two full days. You can of course enrol for more days if you wish to do so.
The termly offering will be aligned to the Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools calendar.
Dashers (2
Term - time Plus+ Term -time Plus+ will offer parents the core Term -time dates with the flexibility to book additional weeks during Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools holidays (if required).
During the school holidays we will revisit and reinforce key learning from the previous term, helping the children consolidate their skills while continuing to learn through play and exploration.
– 3 years) and Explorers (3
– 4 years)
To ensure that we nurture all Little Habs children to fulfil their potential, we recommend that c hildren are enrolled full - time (5 days a week) during the term time . Not only will this help them along their developmental journey but also build long -lasting and deep friendships.
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Fees – academic year 2026/7
Additional Information
We offer a straightforward, transparent and all -inclusive fee structure, which includes your child’s snacks, milk, nutritious and freshly prepared meals (charged at £350 per term included in the termly fees) but excludes formula and nappies. Fees are budgeted for on an annual basis, with reference to the Haberdashers' Elstree Schools calendar which consists of three terms. This annual fee is then divided into three equal instalments for ease of payment alone.
Fees are payable termly in advance.
Core nursery fees
Hablings 6 mths - 2 years Dashers 2 - 3 years Explorers 3 -4 years
Termly fee 5 days
Termly fee 4 days
Termly fee 3 days
Termly fee 2 days
£6,520
£5,215
£3,910
£2,610
£5,670
N/A
N/A
N/A
£5,100
N/A
N/A
N/A
Outside of term Additional sessions must be booked in weekly blocks (5 days). Weekly Fees are set out below: Weekly fee 5 days Hablings 6 mths - 2 years Dashers 2 - 3 years Explorers 3 -4 years
Wraparound care This is optional and can be booked as required, in addition to the core nursery hours: Daily fee
£575* 7.30am – 8am
£6
£450
3.45pm – 5pm
£12
£400
5pm – 6pm
£6
Funded childcare Little Habs is an approved provider authorised to offer 15 hours of childcare funded by Hertfordshire County Council to 3 and 4 year olds. Families are eligible to claim the funding in the term after their child turns 3 years of age and up until entry to Reception.
Funded Hours are available during Term Time only.
A on -refundable Registration Fee of £200 is payable upon registration and a deposit of £2500 is required to secure your child’s place.
A full term’s notice is required in writing for the withdrawal of a pupil, otherwise a term’s fees in lieu of notice will be payable.
Fees will not normally be refunded, reduced or waived due to absences by reason of illness or for a holiday, or if the Nursery is closed temporarily, or for any other reason. The Nursery will be closed at weekends, on all public bank holidays and for 2 weeks over the Christmas period . We do not provide childcare by the hour. Fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from time to time.
After school wrap around care includes tea. Fees are VAT exempt.
Little Habs - registration We are thrilled to announce registration is now open for our nursery. Little Nursery welcomes applications from families both within and beyond the Haberdashers’ community.
Habs
The registration fee is £200 and we have a flat £2,500 deposit will be required for anyone accepting a place. We look forward to receiving your application.
Apply here The numbers and ages of children admitted to the nursery comply with the legal space requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). considering admissions, we are mindful of staff: child ratios and the facilities available at the nursery. Accepting a place We will email confirmation of your child’s place, or waitlist place, during the second week of February 2027. We will hold all nursery offers for 72 hours. After this time we reserve the right to offer the place to the next family on our waiting list. To accept a place offer at LittleHabs , you will be required to: • sign our parent agreement contract • pay a non -refundable registration fee • pay your place acceptance deposit
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When
Habs Girls and
Habs Boys – Reception entry
As a non -selective nursery, Little Habs does not offer automatic entry into Habs Girls Junior School and Habs Boys Prep School.
Internal Priority Pathway
Main External 4+ assessment
We will be offering a pathway for children who are in the Little Habs Nursery class.
We recognise that children develop at different times. If you child is unsuccessful at the first or second -round Internal Priority Pathway assessment you are more than welcome to apply and sit the main external 4+ assessment held in December.
If Habs Girls or Habs Boys is the preferred school for your family, and your child is in Little Habs Nursery class, your child can be assessed in the nursery setting in September. This is an internal priority pathway and separate to the external 4+ assessment. This provides Habs families an opportunity to receive a decision in October of the Nursery year.
The outcome of the internal priority pathway will not be considered during decision making as part of the main 4+ process.