Kimbolton Nursery Group

Drainpipes, garden-grown tomatoes and children choosing their favourite stories give Kimbolton Nursery Group a recognisable character. In June 2022, children tackled a leaking water course together, grew ingredients for soup and voted on what to read. These are concrete examples of learning through play, with conversation and practical problem-solving woven into familiar activities.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding at its 28 June 2022 inspection. The setting has capacity for 16 children in total and welcomes children after their second birthday, subject to a place being available. It operates at Kimbolton St James’ C of E Primary School, with a large natural play space and a parent committee supporting its organisation.

Attendance is term-time, with morning sessions, Lunch Club and full days providing different ways to arrange the week. The school setting is a practical part of its identity, but nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play provides opportunities to practise communication, explore ideas and develop independence. The key person uses observations of each child's interests and achievements to plan their next learning experiences. That gives planning a starting point in the individual child rather than an identical activity for everyone.

In June 2022, story sessions involved children choosing favourites, anticipating what might happen and discussing the parts they enjoyed. Staff varied their voices with the story's mood. Reading was participatory: children had reasons to listen, offer an opinion and connect their ideas with those of others.

Mathematical thinking also took a physical form that month. Children combined coloured tiles into new shapes and arranged cotton reels in repeating patterns. Handling and rearranging objects gave them something concrete to discuss, rather than leaving shape and pattern as abstract ideas.

Outdoor and Community Life

The large natural play space gives outdoor activity a substantial place in the nursery's setting. In June 2022, children joined drainpipes and poured water through them, then worked out why it escaped at the joins. They fetched a longer pipe and moved it together. The task brought cooperation and experimentation into the same piece of play.

Garden produce connected growing with eating during that visit. Children cared for fruit, tasted strawberries at snack time and had made soup with tomatoes they had grown. Balancing on planks and tackling the garden bank also gave children opportunities to judge physical challenges for themselves. These dated examples show how the outdoor space was used, beyond simply providing room to run.

Relationships and Communication

A key person provides a familiar point of contact for each child and family. If that practitioner is away, another adult the child knows takes over. This matters for continuity: care does not depend entirely on one person's presence, while families still have an adult who follows their child's development closely.

Observation and assessment inform individual planning, including children's interests and ways of learning. In June 2022, parents received detailed accounts of learning alongside ideas for activities at home. The connection between nursery and home was practical, giving families something they could do with the information.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The manager also holds the SENCO and designated safeguarding roles, while the deputy has a safeguarding and welfare role. At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including collaboration involving inclusion specialists and other professionals, alongside individual staff support.

In June 2022, staff helped children repair disagreements through discussion and shared action: after one child's play dough model was altered, the children were supported to rebuild it together. Health learning included discussions and visual materials about teeth and food, while children brought packed lunches. The practical emphasis was on understanding choices and relationships through everyday situations.

Current collection arrangements restrict release to adults recorded on the child's admissions form, and families must notify the nursery of changes beforehand. Comfort toys are welcome, although families bring them at their own risk; dummies should stay at home.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St James C E School, Kimbolton, Leominster, HR6 0HQ. Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.45pm, Monday to Friday, during term time.

Morning Session runs from 8.45am to 11.45am. Lunch Club is a separate attendance block from 11.45am to 2.45pm, while Full Day runs from 8.45am to 3.45pm. A Late Pick-up option covers 3.15pm to 3.45pm. These patterns allow families to distinguish a shorter morning from a day extending into the afternoon.

A child's space can be formally reserved in the term before they are due to start, and earlier enquiries are welcome. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email. Ending the contract requires two weeks' written notice. Missed booked sessions remain chargeable, including absences for illness or holidays, while bank-holiday closures are not charged.

Severe-weather closures follow the school's decision. Families therefore need to account for both the term-time calendar and weather-related disruption when arranging care.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded hours are accepted, alongside paid attendance. Care follows the term-time timetable. The opening times and fees page sets out the attendance options and contract terms.

The nursery occupies the primary school's site. Attending the nursery does not guarantee admission to Reception: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Term-time coverage. Morning Session and Lunch Club offer shorter attendance patterns alongside Full Day, but the nursery operates during school terms. Families needing holiday care will need an arrangement for those weeks.
• Lunch Club and funded hours. Before choosing the 11.45am to 2.45pm block, ask what children should bring for lunch and how meals and non-food consumables are handled on funded hours.
• Familiar adults. The key person system includes cover from another adult the child knows. At a visit, discuss how those relationships will be introduced for your child.
• School-site expectations. The nursery is held at Kimbolton St James’ C of E Primary School. Choose it for its early-years provision; a Reception application remains a separate decision through the local authority.

Kimbolton Nursery Group suits families seeking term-time morning sessions or Lunch Club, as well as those wanting a full day within its school-day opening window. Its strongest evidence is specific: the June 2022 examples of collaborative outdoor play, thoughtful story sessions and learning through garden produce make the nursery day easy to understand.

The current key person arrangements add a clear mechanism for continuity of care. For families whose schedules fit the term-time model, this is a small setting with a substantial outdoor space and an Outstanding judgement dated June 2022.