The Old School House Nursery & Pre School

A former school building and a say in nursery life give this Poole setting its character: in September 2025, older children helped shape activities, food choices and outings through pre-school council meetings. Their preferences mattered beyond choosing what to play with.

At its September 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The nursery has capacity for 80 children, accepting ages from 3 to 60 months. Two teaching improvements in September 2025 concerned extending learning through staff interactions and clarifying what planned activities should teach.

In September 2025, the nursery occupied a substantial former school property. Babies played outdoors, while toddlers shared photographs of their families. These experiences connected exploration with familiar people and helped children express something about themselves.

The early years foundation stage brings learning, development and care together through everyday experiences: expressing ideas, making choices, managing feelings and following routines. In September 2025, activities drew on children's interests, and children had opportunities to make decisions and share ideas. During ballet, they followed movements and practised putting equipment away afterwards: participation came with routines and expectations.

Older children's pre-school council meetings gave them a regular opportunity to discuss preferred activities and meals, propose equipment purchases and suggest destinations. Community experiences also extended beyond the building, with regular bus journeys to visit people living in a nearby care home. These were opportunities to encounter people outside the nursery's usual circle.

At the September 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that babies developed secure relationships with their key person, and that assessment, work with parents and professional involvement helped identify learning gaps, arrange additional support and enable progress. For families, the important combination was knowing the child individually and responding when extra help was needed.

In September 2025, emotional support included quiet spaces, sensory resources, books and toys to occupy children's hands when the day became overwhelming. Predictable routines helped children understand expectations. Babies received gentle reassurance and affection after sleeping.

Communication that month included telephone calls, conversations in person and a monthly newsletter. Parent workshops addressed preparation for school, while staff offered practical guidance on toileting, dental care and eating habits. Support reached into everyday family routines as well as nursery learning.

The address is Buckholme Towers, 18 Commercial Road, Poole, BH14 0JW. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. That Christmas closure needs to fit the family's childcare plans.

In September 2025, the nursery provided government-funded places.

• Teaching precision. In September 2025, staff sometimes passed over opportunities to introduce vocabulary, ideas or skills, and planned activities did not consistently have clear learning intentions. On a visit, ask how staff now extend children's play and decide what each activity should teach.
• Funded attendance. Government-funded places formed part of the offer in September 2025. Ask which entitlement and attendance arrangement would apply to your child, including the treatment of meals and consumables.

This nursery suits families who value children's involvement in decisions and practical communication about care. Its September 2025 experiences combined relationships, community visits and opportunities for independence. The teaching improvements deserve attention: enjoyable participation needs equally clear learning intentions and conversations that take children's understanding further.