All Saints Nursery

Woodland walks, two outdoor areas and close ties with All Saints Church give this Branksome Park nursery a clear character. Based in a church hall in Poole, All Saints combines play centred on children’s interests with practical preparation for school. Nature supplies much of the material. Children explore the Chines, watch living things change and take their learning beyond the hall.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding across all assessed areas. That is a dated judgement, but the detail behind it matters: activities connected children’s curiosity with mathematical language, storytelling and independent investigation.

There are 34 places in total, for children aged 24 to 60 months. A Christian ethos sits alongside an explicit welcome to families of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds. Attendance is term-time, with shorter mornings and longer Tuesday and Thursday days.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning: children develop language, physical skills and social understanding through play, with activities adjusted to their interests and next steps. A curriculum lead works with key workers to plan resources and track development. This makes the framework something children encounter through stories, movement, conversation and making things, rather than a separate lesson.

Free play alternates with shared activities. Circle-time brings songs, action rhymes and opportunities to share achievements; small-group time gives children practice in listening, speaking and taking turns. Stories and number games have a place here, alongside the chance to tell friends their news. Afternoons can add cooking, crafts or woodland walks.

Let’s Get Active is the morning’s movement session, using equipment, ride-on toys, music and games indoors or outside. It gives physical play a regular place in the routine. The mix of child-chosen play and group activities also lets children practise moving between doing something independently and joining others.

Recent planning makes the learning tangible. In spring 2026, the Construction Tray connected building with shape, pattern and size, while the Literacy Table offered drawing, early writing and scissor work. The Book Corner combined picture books with attention to rhyme and initial sounds. These are practical ways for children to explore early literacy and mathematics while using their hands and imagination.

In March 2023, garden activities included measuring different heights, while woodland storytelling invited children to make characters from natural materials and devise alternative endings. Model insects and a reference book gave children a way to investigate unfamiliar species. The useful connection was between an interesting object, a question and a way of finding an answer.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two outdoor areas extend the day beyond the hall, and woodland walks explore the Chines. Outside play continues in different weather, so suitable coats and outdoor clothing are everyday essentials. Older children also visit a library and a local care home, adding encounters with their wider community to the nursery routine.

Seasonal work follows things children can observe. During spring 2026, potatoes were growing at nursery and sunflower planting was planned for children to take home. The summer 2026 plans included watching caterpillars become butterflies and two nature walks for school leavers. These examples connect nursery activity with something families can continue discussing at home.

Celebrations bring another kind of shared experience. World Book Day in March 2026 invited children to bring favourite books; dressing as a character was a choice. An annual End of Term Fashion Show celebrates children’s creativity, with the 2025 event involving T-shirts they designed themselves. The recurring Nativity Play expresses the nursery’s Christian character; in 2024, families were asked to provide a simple costume. These events give parents a concrete picture of how books, making and performance enter nursery life.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a Key Worker, responsible for recording development and acting as the family’s first contact. That gives parents a clear person to approach and children a familiar adult during settling. After a registration form is received, a settling visit takes place with the child; the settling policy allows the child’s pace to shape the process.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, shares photographs and written accounts of children’s experiences, with updates as developmental milestones are reached. It offers more than a record to look back through: families can see what their child has been doing and connect it with conversations or activities at home. The summer 2026 nature-walk plans also used Tapestry to communicate individual dates to parents.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO supports children with additional needs and their families, including participation in the daily routine. The inclusion policy sets out work between educators and the SENCO, alongside support for multilingualism and alternative communication such as sign language. These are specific mechanisms for adapting participation to a child’s needs.

The positive-behaviour policy treats sharing, turn-taking and managing feelings as skills to learn. Key persons help children work through minor disputes; persistent concerns bring the SENCO and parents into planning support, with external advice considered where needed. Families should expect discussion about the circumstances behind behaviour and the adjustments that may help.

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised the early identification of additional needs, support involving parents and professionals, and review of children’s development. Current arrangements include designated safeguarding lead roles and paediatric first-aid training for all staff.

Children bring their own packed lunch, while healthy snacks and drinks are covered by the voluntary contribution described in the funding terms. The nursery has a nut-free policy for food brought in, making lunch preparation an important part of the family’s daily routine.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is All Saints Church Hall, 28 Western Road, Poole, BH13 7BP. Term-time attendance follows a varied week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday run from 9am to noon, while Tuesday and Thursday run from 9am to 3.30pm. A lunch session runs from noon to 1pm each weekday.

Earlier starts at either 8am or 8.30am can be booked on every weekday; Tuesday and Thursday also offer collection at 4pm. Both extensions require advance booking. The distinction matters for working families: the longer days fall on two named weekdays, rather than following the same pattern all week.

Contact is by telephone on 01202 020440, email at enquiries@allsaintsnursery.com or the contact form. Families supply a named water bottle and spare clothes, plus nappies, wipes and nappy bags where their child still needs them. A small comfort toy is permitted during settling. Summer guidance asks families to apply sun cream before nursery and provide a hat.

Funding and Paid Extras

The 2025-2026 funding terms accept eligible two-year-old funding, describe 15 funded hours for three- and four-year-olds, and offer 30-hour funding for eligible working families. Attendance is term-time. Additional non-funded hours are charged privately; current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

Those terms describe a voluntary contribution for funded hours covering activity materials, snacks, drinks, outings and visitors. Packed lunches remain a parent responsibility, as do nappies, wipes and nappy bags when needed. Families therefore need to distinguish the contribution covering nursery supplies and snacks from the personal care items and lunch they bring themselves. The fees and funding page sets out that structure.

Moving on to school includes contact with local school staff and an annual school-readiness event. In 2025, a School Readiness Evening at Lilliput CE Infant School offered families ideas for preparing children for the change. This is transition support: nursery attendance does not guarantee a school place, and families still use the local authority admissions process for a state school or an independent school’s own process.

• A varied term-time week. Longer attendance falls on Tuesday and Thursday, with shorter mornings on the other weekdays. At a visit, discuss how the core sessions, lunch and pre-booked extensions fit your working week.
• Western Road safety. The May 2026 newsletter repeated a warning about traffic on this stretch of road and the need to keep the side gate shut. Plan your approach and collection arrangements with that warning in mind.
• Food and personal care supplies. Families provide lunch and, where needed, nappies and wipes; funded-hours terms also describe a voluntary contribution. For a child with allergies, confirm current food-handling practice as well as the nut-free policy.
• Christian celebrations. Church links and the Nativity Play are part of nursery life, alongside a welcome to different faiths. Discuss how your family’s traditions and your child’s participation will fit within that programme.

All Saints suits families seeking term-time preschool care with a strong outdoor thread, a familiar key worker and concrete preparation for school. Its attendance patterns serve both shorter-morning routines and longer Tuesday or Thursday days, with lunch and pre-booked extensions adding flexibility.

The appeal lies in the detail: woodland exploration, seasonal growing, shared stories and an annual creative celebration. The practical trade-offs are equally clear. Families need a timetable that fits the varied week, must prepare lunches and personal care supplies, and should take the Western Road warning seriously. For parents comfortable with its Christian character, this is a nursery with a recognisable community life.