Brambles Rushall

Seven acres of woodland shape the day at Brambles Rushall: children grow vegetables, help prepare snacks over a fire and play among mature trees. This is an outdoor nursery with substantial shelter, including a play barn and heated yurts. For families choosing it, the outdoor setting is the central decision.

Brambles Rushall welcomes children aged 1 to 5 and has capacity for 58 children. At its February 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, and inclusion to be Strong standard, with achievement, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance at Expected standard; safeguarding standards were met. Those area judgements give a more useful picture than a single headline: care and relationships were stronger than the consistency of teaching interactions.

School Day and Full Day attendance patterns sit within a year-round offer, with a Christmas closure. The setting accepts 15 and 30 hours Early Years Government Funding.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, so outdoor play must support learning as well as enjoyment. Brambles takes inspiration from the group-wide Forest School ethos, an approach centred on learning outdoors. Here, its practical expression includes growing vegetables, preparing food and using a woodland setting for play.

In February 2026, children climbed and assembled obstacle courses from resources that could be used in different ways. These experiences gave them opportunities to test an idea, change a construction and work alongside others. In the mud kitchen, children divided tasks and shared equipment while making imaginary food. Social learning happened through the play itself.

Language and mathematics also featured in that February day. Staff used size vocabulary as children rolled balls down slopes, while colour, shape and number words became part of play and routines. Younger children responded to questions about objects they had discovered; older children talked with one another. The outdoor emphasis therefore extended beyond physical activity.

The teaching improvement is specific. In February 2026, adults sometimes moved interactions along before children had enough time to formulate their own response. Leaders were working on longer exchanges in which adults and children develop an idea together. For parents, that distinction matters: plentiful activity and conversation still need space for a child to think.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two gardens contain yurts with log burners, while a construction area, play barn and mud kitchen offer different ways to use the space. Shelter is part of the outdoor arrangement, rather than a reason to abandon it. The vegetable garden adds another practical strand: children help grow ingredients that are then used in snacks.

Stay and Play sessions for under-5s include a healthy drink and snack and run from 9.30am to 11am, free of charge. These are separate from the nursery's regular attendance patterns. A Holiday Club also uses the Rushall woodland for children aged 4 to 8, giving the setting an offer beyond its nursery age range.

Relationships and Communication

In February 2026, younger children spent time in infant carriers, keeping close to their key person while taking part in the outdoor day. Settling arrangements and changes to the next stage were adapted around each child and family. That detail is especially relevant for parents considering outdoor care for a young child: emotional closeness was built into the routine.

Children approached staff for comfort and conversation. Families received verbal communication and updates through an online system, giving them ways to share information beyond a brief conversation. In the same February snapshot, leaders monitored attendance and offered practical adaptations where families faced difficulties maintaining a regular routine.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified emerging needs promptly, worked with families and outside professionals, and adapted support so children with SEND could participate and make progress. The mechanisms were concrete: communication boards, visual and sensory resources, individual programmes and regularly reviewed support plans.

In February 2026, Makaton was among the communication approaches used to help children initiate interactions. A regulation den provided somewhere quiet to recover when feelings became difficult, supported by calm language from adults. Sleep preparation and snack routines were adjusted to individual needs. These are useful examples of how care fitted around the child within an outdoor setting.

Morning snacks are prepared over the fire, with children helping and vegetables grown in the nursery garden used in cooking. Food preparation therefore contributes to the day's learning as well as providing something to eat.

Sessions and Attendance

The School Day runs from 9am to 3pm, and the Full Day from 8am to 4pm. These are two different booking patterns: the shorter day fits a school-length timetable, while the Full Day extends care at both ends. Neither should be confused with the separate Stay and Play sessions.

Brambles Rushall opens across the year for 50 weeks, closing for two weeks over Christmas. Its opening hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. The afternoon finish is an important practical limit for families whose working day continues later.

The nursery address is Pewsey Road, Rushall, Wiltshire, SN9 6JY. Enquiries can be made through the setting-selection contact form or by emailing admissions@bramblesoutdoorgroup.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

The setting accepts 15 and 30 hours Early Years Government Funding. Families should use the nursery's current written quotation when planning the cost of attendance.

The Holiday Club is a separate offer for children aged 4 to 8, rather than an extension of the nursery's accepted ages. Keeping those two offers apart helps families choose the appropriate provision for each child.

• An outdoor day for younger children. Woodland play, heated yurts and fire cooking define the setting, while February 2026 practice included infant carriers and personalised sleep preparation. On a visit, ask how shelter, clothing and rest arrangements would work for your child's routine.
• Time to think. February 2026 teaching did not consistently leave children enough time to respond or develop an idea with an adult. Ask how staff now build those pauses and longer conversations into play.
• The daily finish. The School Day ends at 3pm and the Full Day at 4pm. Families needing later care should weigh those finish times against their regular commitments before choosing a pattern.
• Funding and the full cost. The nursery accepts 15 and 30 hours funding and operates across the year. Ask for a written breakdown showing how funded hours fit your chosen attendance pattern and how food and non-food consumables are treated.

Brambles Rushall suits families who actively want woodland-based early education, whether they need a School Day or the longer Full Day pattern. Gardens, yurts, construction play and growing food give that choice substance. Outdoor care is the organising principle here.

The February 2026 judgements give weight to its care, inclusion and behaviour provision, while the teaching next steps keep the assessment balanced. Families should weigh the outdoor routine and early afternoon finishes alongside the specific work on giving children more thinking time. Those are the decisions that matter most for this setting.