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Nursery at Braithwaite CofE 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A mud kitchen, daily outdoor play and learning alongside older children give Braithwaite’s nursery its character. For three- and four-year-olds, this is an introduction to school life through play, with space to dig, build and explore.
Nursery belongs to Barrow class, which brings together early years and Years 1 and 2 at Braithwaite CofE Primary School, near Keswick. Places are available for the 2026-2027 school year. Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 28 and 29 February 2024; that judgement covers early years within the school.
Choice shapes the learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum combines activities children pursue independently with specific tasks supported by adults. Children can work in groups of different sizes. This gives them opportunities both to follow an interest and to practise doing things together.
EYFS here means building communication, friendships, physical skills and early understanding of words, numbers and the world. Stories, poems and rhymes give children words to use in conversation. Counting uses practical objects, including pebbles and tens frames, while creative activities let children experiment with materials. Mark-making starts in nursery, giving early writing a practical place in play.
Outside, the enclosed early years play space has a wheeled-vehicle zone, digging pit and sand pit alongside the mud kitchen. Resource sheds hold equipment for gardening, water play, construction and making marks. Nursery children spend time outdoors each day, so these activities form part of ordinary learning rather than an occasional extra.
Forest Schools adds longer outdoor experiences: each child has a two-hour session every fortnight on the school site. Leaders hold Level 3 Forest School qualifications and certificates in paediatric and outdoor first aid. The grounds also include a field with play facilities, extending the spaces children can explore.
In February 2024, nursery children learned routines and rules quickly alongside their Reception classmates. A curriculum improvement action concerned insufficient teaching guidance in a very small number of subjects, where some pupils occasionally struggled to remember earlier learning. This was a school curriculum concern, rather than a separate nursery judgement.
An early years teaching assistant forms part of the support team, and class teachers are the first contact for parents. Families seeking SEND support can contact the school office to reach the SENDCo. That provides a direct route for discussing a child’s needs.
Personal care is also part of learning: children practise managing feelings and becoming more independent with their own needs. Nursery uniform is optional. Leggings or tracksuit trousers are encouraged as manageable clothing for independent toileting, putting practical self-care ahead of a formal appearance.
School meals are freshly cooked each day. Early Birds Club includes breakfast, giving families using the morning club a meal within that arrangement.
Attending nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the local authority’s coordinated admissions process: complete the online Cumbria application during the autumn term and submit it by 15 January.
Shared early years play space and learning alongside Reception children provide familiarity with classmates and routines. That everyday continuity is separate from the allocation of a school place.
Nursery operates Monday to Friday during term time, with morning, afternoon and full-day sessions. The full day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm. Families can use 15 funded hours, with a further 15 depending on eligibility; funding begins in the term following the third birthday. Starting after turning three within the birthday term is chargeable.
Nursery children can use Breakfast Club and most after-school provision sessions, using their entitlement or paying per session. Early Birds Club runs from 8:00am until 8:45am in the hall, accessed through the Catbells Class door. The 325 Club provides care until 5:30pm and usually uses the 325 club room. Book through the school office and contact the school for current charges.
For nursery enquiries, email admin@braithwaite.cumbria.sch.uk or call 01768 778356. Visits are welcomed, and families can send the nursery application to the school to help plan their child’s start.
The nursery welcomes children aged three and four. A child can start after turning three during their birthday term, with sessions charged until funding begins in the following term.
Yes. Full-day nursery sessions run from 8:45am to 3:15pm, with morning and afternoon options also offered.
The enclosed early years area includes a mud kitchen, sand pit, digging pit and wheeled-vehicle zone. Nursery children spend time outside daily and have fortnightly two-hour Forest Schools sessions.
No. Nursery uniform is optional, and clothing children can manage for themselves is encouraged to support independent toileting.
No. Families apply separately through the local authority’s coordinated process, submitting the online Cumbria application by 15 January.
