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Nursery at St James and Ebrington Church of England Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Nursery rhymes, purposeful conversation and learning to tidy up give Ebrington’s Little Pickles its everyday character. This is the nursery provision of St James and Ebrington Church of England Primary School, serving children aged two to four at the Ebrington site on Hidcote Road, GL55 6NQ. Nursery and preschool occupy two classes there, away from the school’s Chipping Campden site.
The March 2026 Ofsted inspection judged early years to meet the Expected standard. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision across its sites, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Small routines have a clear purpose here. In March 2026, children put things away between activities readily, while staff reinforced considerate behaviour. At lunch, children sat calmly and talked together. These are useful foundations for taking part in a group, alongside the learning itself.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) learning uses six Big Questions across the year, with one for each short term. This gives exploration a recurring focus. Early reading begins with nursery rhymes, and reading receives sustained attention across early years. Conversation matters too: adults demonstrate how to communicate, and children develop the confidence to explain what they have been doing.
Teaching generally takes account of each child’s development. The March 2026 findings nevertheless identified occasions when activities did not fit children’s developmental stage closely enough. For families, the useful distinction is between the planned sequence of learning and how precisely an individual activity suits their child.
Relationships extend to parents, who receive regular updates about learning. Nursery feedback takes place each term through a written report or a meeting. That creates opportunities to connect what children are doing in the setting with their development at home.
For special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the nursery’s support arrangements include My Plan and My Plan +. Parents help agree outcomes and review progress; these plans are updated every twelve weeks. Where My Plan support cannot meet a child’s needs, additional help follows Gloucestershire’s Early Years SEND intervention tiers. The Trust SENDCo can be contacted through the school administrator, giving families a route into discussing concerns. The March 2026 inspection also identified very occasional cases where adjustments for some younger pupils were not specific enough to help them learn. Families can discuss the adjustments their child needs with the SENDCo.
The nursery manager also holds a deputy designated safeguarding lead role. This places safeguarding responsibility within the nursery’s management team.
Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor gives admission priority for September 2027 entry. Families must make a separate application through Gloucestershire’s local authority process, submitting the Common Application Form to the Access to Learning Team by 15 January 2027.
Preparation for the move is a separate matter. Children have summer attachment sessions before starting school, and parents, nursery providers and school staff meet to share information about the child. In March 2026, continuity between nursery learning and Reception was a strength of the early years provision. Familiarisation supports the change; it does not secure admission.
Funded spaces at Ebrington run from 9am to 3pm every day. Funding includes places for eligible working parents of two-, three- and four-year-olds, the universal 15-hour weekly entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, and eligible two-year-old early education funding. Funded entitlement is used first; hours beyond it attract a charge. Contact the school for current charges.
Applications for funded spaces require an eligibility code, parental National Insurance numbers and dates of birth. Codes need renewal roughly every three months through HMRC. Apply before the relevant term deadline and ensure the code starts on or before 31 August for autumn, 31 December for spring or 31 March for summer. For enquiries, email littlepickles@ncsf.school or contact the school office on 01386 840634.
Children aged two to four attend the nursery provision.
It is at the Ebrington site, Hidcote Road, Ebrington, GL55 6NQ.
No. Nursery attendance gives no priority for September 2027 entry. A separate local authority application is required by 15 January 2027.
Funded spaces are available every day between 9am and 3pm at Ebrington. Entitlement is used first, with additional hours charged.
Parents receive regular learning updates and termly nursery feedback through reports or face-to-face meetings. Parents of children receiving SEND support also help plan and review outcomes.
