Countryside Day Nursery

A red brick barn, fields for nature walks and a vegetable garden give Countryside Day Nursery its character. Set within 15 acres in Corse, this is a nursery where growing food and exploring the countryside are part of the offer, rather than simply a rural backdrop. Children can grow, cook and eat vegetables, enjoy picnics and sometimes explore by tractor during summer.

Countryside welcomes children aged 3 months to 5 years and has capacity for 83 children. At its 31 May 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall. The practical choice includes full days, mornings and afternoons, allowing families to build attendance around different lengths of day.

Outdoor experiences and detailed settling handovers lead its appeal. For preschool families, the May 2024 findings also matter: children needed better support and challenge in group activities and clearer teaching about how their actions affect others.

Rooms and Ages

The room names follow a countryside theme: Ladybird Room, Hedgehog Room, Little Squirrels Room and Big Squirrels Room. The transition paperwork connects these stages through practical information about each child, including comforters, sleep preferences, allergies and toileting. Moving rooms is treated as a handover of knowledge, rather than just a change of surroundings.

February 2026 activities show how experiences differ between groups: Ladybirds explored light and reflections through sensory play; Hedgehogs used pasta for threading; Little Squirrels mixed gingerbread dough and practised football; Big Squirrels tackled building challenges and made patterns with wooden dominoes. These are concrete examples of children using their hands, bodies and curiosity in different ways.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, covering communication, physical and social development alongside early mathematics, literacy, creativity and understanding the world. Indoor and outdoor activities sit around the daily meal routine, with quieter periods for children who need a pause. The framework is the starting point; the gardens, animals and outside visitors provide material to explore within it.

The annual Living Eggs Programme lets children watch eggs hatch and chicks grow. In spring 2025, the chicks moved to an outdoor house near Big Squirrels for all children to observe, making changes in living things tangible.

February 2026 brought a visiting Melody Makers music session for Hedgehogs and both Squirrels groups, with resources, singing and dancing inviting children to join in through movement and song.

Outdoor and Community Life

Nature walks through the fields extend outdoor play, while the vegetable garden connects growing food with cooking and eating it.

Outings carry learning into named local places. In January 2026, Big Squirrels visited Newent Library, explored its veterinary role-play station and listened to a story; another visit to Over Farm involved matching cards with fruit and vegetables. During February 2026, Little Squirrels used the swings, slide and balance beams at Apperley Park. Books, food and physical play extend beyond the nursery.

World Book Day is an annual celebration here, with stories and books central to the occasion. Children were invited to dress as a favourite book character for the March 2026 celebration. Families therefore have a way to contribute something familiar from home to a shared nursery event.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with familiarity and information. Parents and children spend time together at the nursery, meeting staff and learning how the rooms work; a dedicated practitioner discusses eating habits, favourite things and naps. Comfort blankets and favourite toys can come too. Those details give staff something specific to work with when a child needs reassurance.

The My Profile paperwork goes further than a basic list of likes. It asks about important people, preferred sleep arrangements, what helps a child and what makes things harder. Room transitions include contributions from parents and signatures from the outgoing and incoming key people. For families, this creates a practical route for carrying useful knowledge into the next stage.

Tapestry is the online learning journal, bringing together photographs, observations and comments about children's development. Parents can add experiences from home and respond to nursery observations. Magic Moments complements this: achievements at home can be celebrated with a Wow Certificate and shared during Circle Time. The journal is intended for learning records, so everyday messages go directly to staff or by email rather than depending on an observation being read promptly.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2024 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding, good progress in learning and prompt support for children with SEND through work with parents, outside agencies and other settings. More recent training adds useful context: in November 2025, Countryside achieved the Dingley's promise Mark of Achievement after the whole staff team accessed courses addressing children's differing needs, development and abilities. That is a training achievement, rather than a substitute for an individual support plan.

The nursery's dietary-change form distinguishes medical requirements, parental choices and religious needs, and includes a key-person acknowledgement. Fresh meals are prepared at the nursery, and babies can receive support with weaning. Parents bring bottles and formula or breast milk; nappies and creams are supplied, giving families a clear division of what comes from home.

In May 2024, everyday independence included learning to put on coats and using mirrors when cleaning faces after meals. Preparation for school also has a practical handover: during the 2025 leaving cycle, Big Squirrels transition reports went home for parents to deliver to school, while staff spoke with Reception teachers by telephone, online or through nursery visits. This is preparation and information sharing, rather than an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Barn Lane, Corse, Gloucester, GL19 3RH. Families can book full days from 8am to 5.45pm, mornings from 8am to noon with a snack, or afternoons from 1pm to 5.45pm with tea, Monday to Friday.

Attendance runs throughout the year, with bank holidays and a Christmas break excluded. Fees are payable a month ahead, and ordinary booked days are charged when a child does not attend; bank holidays are not charged. A named nursery bag is supplied for spare clothes, which helps keep the everyday packing routine consistent.

Funding and Paid Extras

Countryside accepts 15 and 30 hours funding for the relevant age groups, subject to eligibility, including the expanded 30-hour offer from 9 months described in December 2025. Funding runs over 38 term-time weeks, while the nursery operates throughout the year. Private session prices include food, non-food consumables, trips and celebration activities; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funded sessions have voluntary additional charges for food, non-food consumables and activities, with no voluntary additional charge for children under two. Parents can supply food and non-food consumables or have their costs waived. The fully funded term-time attendance pattern covers Monday to Thursday afternoons and Friday all day, with parents supplying food that meets the packed-lunch policy and non-food consumables. The completed registration form is returned with a registration fee, and the agreement allows either party to end it with a month's notice.

• Preschool group learning. In May 2024, some counting errors went uncorrected and some children needed greater challenge during group activities. During a visit, ask how Big Squirrels activities now give different children the support and stretch they need.
• Gentle play. The May 2024 improvement actions included teaching children more clearly how their actions affect other people and toys. Ask how practitioners explain consequences and help children repair disagreements.
• Funding as children turn two. Funded attendance under two carries no voluntary additional charge, while charging arrangements change at two. Ask for a written breakdown showing how funded hours, private hours, food and baby supplies apply to your chosen pattern.
• Rural attendance and closures. Barn Lane is the base for an all-year nursery with bank-holiday and Christmas closures. Before committing, test your usual journey and discuss the settling schedule and closure calendar alongside your working arrangements.

Countryside suits families who want countryside experiences built into nursery life, with a choice between full days and shorter morning or afternoon attendance. Its barn, growing space, animals and outings give parents concrete reasons to choose it. Detailed settling and transition paperwork adds a useful connection between home routines and nursery care.

The Good judgement from May 2024 sits alongside two specific improvement points, both worth exploring for an older child. For a family attracted by outdoor learning and varied local experiences, the deciding conversation is how the chosen attendance pattern and the child's individual needs will work together.