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Nursery at Brooke Priory 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Red splash suits, pony grooming and a stream to explore give Brooke Priory’s youngest children a day with plenty of outdoor adventure. Nursery and Pre-School occupy purpose-built accommodation within the independent school in Oakham, combining spaces for children’s own discoveries with activities led by adults.
Children can start at two: Nursery covers ages two to three, followed by Pre-School for three to four-year-olds. Both belong to the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The emphasis is on learning through doing, with children’s interests helping to shape activities rather than every task following a fixed theme.
The EYFS brings care and learning together. Here, its seven learning areas are covered through a mixture of adult-led activities and play children choose themselves. Staff observe how children respond, then adjust what comes next. In May 2025, ISI found that early-years children progressed well, developing spoken language, early mathematical understanding and creativity through play, music and art.
Indoors and outdoors, continuous provision gives children spaces and resources to return to and explore independently. Outside, a canopy shelters a play zone; there is also a wildlife garden, an adventure playground and a field. These offer different ways to move, investigate and play beyond the classroom.
Welly Days take children to the grounds of Brooke Priory House. Activities include searching for bugs, grooming ponies, playing in the stream and toasting marshmallows beside a campfire. Learning becomes something children can touch and try. Back at school, morning enrichment includes mini gym, Dance and the Carried Along music class. Sports-hall sessions use climbing frames and gymnastics equipment, while French lessons each week introduce language through songs and games.
As children move through Pre-School, Read Write Inc introduces letter sounds and blending. Counting develops through resources, rhymes and songs. These early skills sit alongside exploration and play. Nursery and Pre-School also perform the Christmas nativity alongside Kindergarten children, giving them a shared occasion to prepare for.
Familiar routines and responsive adults provide the daily framework. In May 2025, early-years staff helped children recognise emotions, consider other people’s feelings and respond kindly to classmates. Children also practised sharing and solving problems together, including working out how to balance objects on towers.
Parents receive frequent updates about early-years learning and ways to support it at home, connecting classroom activities with family life. Across the school, Learning Support Assistants work alongside class teachers; educational support includes sensory resources, adapted materials and collaboration with speech and language therapists. The EYFS approach aims to include and support every child.
Hot lunches carry an additional charge. Joining includes an age-dependent taster day or session with a formal assessment. Offers depend on a successful taster and availability.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery and Reception admissions are separate: families apply again through the normal route and meet the relevant deadline for their chosen school.
Preparation for the next stage is a different question. Pre-School gives increasing attention to sounds, simple words, number recognition and counting as children approach Kindergarten. That prepares children for new learning; it should not be treated as an admissions advantage.
The nursery and pre-school day runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Collection at 1.15pm, after lunch, can be agreed beforehand. Nursery booking choices include full days, mornings and afternoons, with before-school and after-school care also accessible to nursery children.
Early Years Funding is part of the charging arrangements. Hot lunches and wraparound care are charged separately from fees; ask the school for current charges. Bursaries and teacher or sibling discounts do not apply to early-years children while they remain eligible for the Funded Early Education Entitlement.
Contact the Director of Admissions by telephone, email or enquiry form. Personal tours last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, allowing families to meet staff and see the school day in progress.
Children can join from their second birthday. Nursery is for two to three-year-olds, and Pre-School for three to four-year-olds.
There is a dedicated play area, a canopy-covered play zone, an adventure playground, a wildlife garden and a field. Welly Days also use the grounds of Brooke Priory House.
The day begins at 8.30am and finishes at 3.30pm. A 1.15pm collection after lunch can be arranged in advance, and children can attend before-school and after-school care.
No. Nursery and Reception admissions are separate, so families must apply again through the normal route for their chosen school.
Hot lunches are charged separately, as are before-school and after-school care. Contact the school for current charges.
