Rosemary Nursery School and Children's Centre

A large garden behind Cabot Circus gives Rosemary’s nursery day a distinctly outdoorsy character: gardening, forest school activities and adventurous play sit within its city setting. Nature is close at hand.

Rosemary Nursery School and Children's Centre serves children aged two to five at Haviland House in St Judes, Bristol. It belongs to the Central Bristol Nursery Schools Federation alongside The Limes and St Werburgh’s Park. This is a nursery school in its own right, so moving to Reception means moving on to a primary school.

Children’s interests help shape the learning. The federation follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), combining development in talking, movement and relationships with early reading, number work, creativity and understanding the world. In parent terms, play supplies opportunities to practise several skills together. Resources children can reach independently give them choices about what to explore.

Four named experiences recur across the curriculum. Helicopter Stories lets children invent narratives; Core Books supplies shared reading. Bread Making brings practical activity into learning, while Environmental Learning involves composting, gardening and recycling. These give families concrete examples of what learning through play means here.

Outside, wooden blocks become pretend vehicles and collaborative constructions. A climbing frame adds physical challenge, with adults nearby to support children. Mud trays contain soil to investigate with small forks and trowels: handling materials and talking about their textures connect physical activity with language.

Ofsted’s inspection on 8 and 9 May 2024 found that adult conversation helped children develop vocabulary and express themselves, while regular counting supported their understanding of numbers. Curriculum and assessment. Some learning areas needed clearer decisions about the knowledge children should retain, and assessment did not consistently pinpoint gaps. These weaknesses matter because staff need that information to plan the next steps in learning.

Key workers build relationships with children and families. Tapestry, the online learning diary, shares learning during focus observation weeks; classroom updates appear weekly on the website. Parents can also join stay and play sessions and focus weeks. That creates several ways to discuss learning together.

Before the autumn 2026 term, stay and play sessions offered families time to meet room staff and explore the setting. Home visits also formed part of the September arrangements. Both bring contact with families into the start of nursery life.

The federation describes its staff as qualified and experienced, with conversations and play central to their work. In May 2024, children’s close bonds with adults helped them feel secure. Support for children learning English as an additional language was careful and effective.

For special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), staff discuss concerns with parents and can make referrals to speech therapy, educational psychology, health visiting or paediatric services. In May 2024, adaptations helped children participate in learning, with parents and outside agencies involved. Safeguarding arrangements were effective at that inspection.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application for primary school through the normal admissions process, meeting the deadline for their child’s entry year.

For September 2026 entry, the nursery’s reminder gave an online application route and a deadline of 15 January 2026 for children born from 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2022. That cycle has passed. Key workers can support families with application questions; this help is separate from any admission entitlement.

Term-time attendance follows fixed patterns. The 15-hour options are five mornings, 8:30am to 11:30am, or five afternoons, 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Alternatively, children attend Monday and Tuesday, 8:30am to 3:30pm, plus Wednesday morning; or Wednesday afternoon followed by Thursday and Friday, 8:30am to 3:30pm.

The 30-hour pattern for eligible working parents runs Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 3:30pm, followed by Friday morning. Funded provision includes 15-hour places for eligible two-year-olds, including children of working parents, and 15-hour or eligible 30-hour places for three-year-olds. These patterns are also offered as paid places; contact the school for current charges.

Fixed booking model. Rosemary does not offer ad hoc bookings, alternative session times or an after-school club. Families need to match their childcare arrangements to the set timetable.

Select Rosemary on the Register Your Interest form to request information or a tour. The nursery’s telephone number is 0117 903 1467.