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Nursery at Stephen Perse Cambridge
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A garden edged by trees and a day that can run from 07:30 to 18:00 give Stephen Perse Cambridge’s Shaftesbury Road nursery its practical character. Rising 3s caters for children aged 2–3; Kindergarten follows at 3–4. These groups share the building with Reception, placing the nursery within the school’s early years provision.
The distinction between the two nursery stages matters. Rising 3s combines play with teaching in small groups, introducing early reading and number skills. Kindergarten adds specialist subject teaching and uniform, giving children more experience of school routines while retaining time to explore their interests.
Children’s choices help shape learning. Classrooms are arranged to encourage independent exploration, with opportunities to revisit skills and develop personal interests. Topics introduce vocabulary and unfamiliar ideas, while children contribute suggestions of their own. This gives adult planning and children’s curiosity a place in the day.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings learning and development together: language, movement, relationships and early literacy and maths develop alongside one another. The September 2025 ISI inspection found that the Foundation’s early years curriculum covered the required learning areas and that children progressed well across them. Those are findings about early years across the Foundation, rather than a separate grade for the Cambridge nursery.
Sensory activities involve touch, sound and other senses; role play lets children explore everyday situations through imagination. Loose parts creativity uses materials that children can rearrange and combine, rather than objects with one prescribed purpose. Musical activities provide another way to express ideas and move. The emphasis is on doing.
Outside, the Shaftesbury Road garden provides green space around the nursery building. Forest School takes place weekly, led by a Forest School leader, with participation across different weather conditions. Outdoor learning therefore has a regular place alongside classroom activity. In September 2025, early years children also showed developing vocabulary and understanding of how letters connect with sounds, linking exploration with the beginnings of reading.
Settling starts before the first official day. Early Years staff arrange visits and work with families on joining preparations, giving children time to become familiar with their surroundings. Tours are led by the Early Years Leadership Team, so parents can meet staff responsible for this stage.
Tapestry provides an early years learning journal and access to reports, helping families follow their child’s experiences and development. ParentMail carries school correspondence and supports booking parents’ evening appointments. These give parents routes for keeping in touch alongside the initial settling visits.
Meals are included in nursery and Kindergarten fees, together with nappies and cream where appropriate. Mindfulness activities help children practise responding to strong feelings and treating themselves and others kindly. September 2025 early years findings also described additional language help for children joining with a first language other than English, supporting vocabulary and confidence.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Reception applicants use the school’s Early Years admissions process and online admissions portal. Kindergarten and Reception entry involve a developmental observation during a visit, followed by an admissions decision dependent on space availability. Confirm with admissions what application steps existing nursery pupils need to complete for Reception.
Full-day nursery care runs from 07:30 to 18:00. The nursery age bands have year-round arrangements; Kindergarten has both year-round and term-time options. This allows families to choose between continuity through school holidays and attendance aligned with terms.
Start with the admissions enquiry form, giving the desired start date and attendance days so the team can check space. Individual tours can also be booked. Refer to the school for current charges; collection after the 18:00 closing time attracts an additional charge.
Travel. Cambridge sites have no parking. Shaftesbury Road provides space to secure cargo bikes and bicycle child trailers, making cycling a practical consideration for the daily journey.
Rising 3s covers ages 2–3 and Kindergarten ages 3–4. The same building also accommodates Reception.
Full-day care runs from 07:30 to 18:00. Kindergarten has year-round and term-time options.
Meals are included in nursery and Kindergarten fees, as are nappies and cream where appropriate.
No. Reception applicants use the school’s Early Years admissions route. Entry involves developmental observation and depends on available space. Ask admissions to confirm the application requirements for existing nursery pupils.
Tapestry records early years experiences and development and gives access to reports. ParentMail provides school correspondence and parents’ evening bookings.
