Great Ballard School Nursery Review

Real tools, woodland trails and food cooked over fires give Seasons Nursery at Great Ballard a distinctive character. Children are welcomed from 2 years, with a key person helping them settle and explore at their own pace. The curriculum follows each child's interests, with exploration and play paced around the child.

Seasons sits within Great Ballard School in Eartham, near Chichester. The school occupies 30 acres in the South Downs National Park. For nursery children, access to the wider site and woodland is paced around their readiness: the setting combines an indoor base with opportunities to explore further as confidence grows.

Daily Forest School sessions give outdoor learning a clear place in the routine. Children climb, investigate nature and learn practical uses for real tools; fires are used to prepare food and warm drinks. These are concrete experiences of making and doing, rather than outdoor time serving only as a break from indoor activities.

Indoors, cosy corners provide space for the youngest children. Outside, leafy trails offer further exploration. Seasons describes a curriculum shaped by children's interests and aimed at developing curiosity, creativity and individuality. That makes the child's own questions an important starting point for learning.

The April 2026 ISI inspection found that early years teaching combined planned activities with play, developing language, early sound knowledge and number understanding. Children practised counting with toys, while adults introduced vocabulary through play. This gives parents a practical picture of early years learning: conversation and familiar objects become opportunities to build foundations for later learning.

Physical development also had specific attention in April 2026. Early years children practised balancing and jumping, alongside rolling, catching and throwing. Learning about nature happened outdoors, while the learning to learn programme introduced children to recognising their emotions and other people's feelings.

A key person guides each child's settling and exploration at Seasons. The pace matters: children can use the wider grounds when they are ready, while retaining their indoor base. This offers a familiar adult connection alongside the expanding possibilities of the school site.

In April 2026, adults in early years used shared play to teach turn-taking, sharing and co-operation. The youngest children were supervised while eating. Care and learning therefore met in ordinary routines, from joining an activity with another child to managing mealtimes safely.

The April 2026 inspection also identified an outdated safeguarding policy supplied to families, which was corrected during the inspection. The recommendation was to keep that information aligned with current guidance and school procedures; this was a school-level issue, rather than a separate nursery judgement.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a place in Great Ballard's Reception. Families should confirm the Reception admission steps with the School Office. Registration expresses interest in a particular year group, rather than confirming a place, and an offer depends on the school's taster or assessment process. Treat choosing the nursery and securing Reception admission as separate decisions.

For a school visit or an admissions enquiry, contact the School Office on 01243 814236 or email headspa@greatballard.co.uk. Visits can take place during school hours or at an Open Morning. Ask the school for current charges.

For a Seasons tour, book directly with Seasons. The tour invitation is for its Aldingbourne Country Centre setting, so distinguish that visit from a tour of Great Ballard's school grounds when arranging your appointment.