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Nursery at Brimscombe Church of England (VA) 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.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 train passing the school became the starting point for a homemade railway, complete with a repair area and passenger station. That gives a flavour of Ladybirds: familiar experiences turned into play, construction and conversation. This is the pre-school provision within Brimscombe Church of England (VA) Primary School, rather than a separate school.
In June 2022, the governor-run provision catered for children aged three and four. Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Good at its inspection on 28 and 29 June 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school.
Play gives children practical reasons to count, talk and test ideas. In January 2025, children traced Numicon shapes and counted their holes, extending an activity they had chosen themselves. Another counting activity used dinosaurs, with some children recognising quantities up to five without counting each object. These are concrete ways to explore number before it becomes an abstract task.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together children's language, movement and social development with early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding their surroundings. Ladybirds activities show how these areas overlap. A sensory box prompted children to describe appearance, texture and smell; cutting activities exercised their hands. At the June 2022 inspection, phonics teaching started at pre-school age; staff had secure knowledge of letter sounds and checked children's pronunciation successfully.
Construction can become imaginative play. Large fabric sheets have been used for a den with a tunnel entrance and rooms for sleeping, cooking and relaxing. Blocks prompted one child to build a model of home and explain who lived there. The materials create reasons to plan spaces and explain choices, rather than simply follow an adult's model.
Outside, the garden and sandpit extend the possibilities. Children have gathered natural materials on a walk for loose-parts play and sticks for the sandpit. Painting in the garden involved squeezing ink bottles and making larger splashes, combining small hand movements with bigger physical actions. In March 2025, water play explored shells, plants and animals alongside floating and sinking. Cold weather brings another material to investigate: children have played with ice in the pre-school garden.
Kindness becomes something children can recognise in their own experiences. In January 2025, a conversation about firefighters led to a class heart where children could add stickers when others had been kind to them. It links an everyday discussion to noticing how people treat one another.
For additional needs, the school's SEND coordinator works with teaching staff and families. Support follows a cycle of assessing needs, planning help, putting it into practice and reviewing its effect. My Plan and My Plan+ record agreed support and outcomes; progress reviews take place at least three times a year. This gives parents repeated opportunities to discuss whether the support fits their child. Across the school, physical access includes an accessible toilet and marked disabled parking.
Brimscombe is nut-free to protect children with allergies. Families need to bear that restriction in mind when bringing food.
Attending Ladybirds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. School admissions are handled by the admissions office at Shire Hall in Gloucester.
Transition support is a separate matter from allocation of a place. For children moving from pre-school with SEND already identified, the SEND coordinator arranges contact and a visit, with parents involved where possible. Additional school visits and support during the opening weeks in September can be arranged if needed. These arrangements help prepare the child for a change; they do not secure admission.
Contact the school office on 01453 882474 for Ladybirds enquiries or to arrange an appointment to see the provision. Booking and registration forms are provided for pre-school applications. The school is on Brimscombe Hill, Brimscombe, Stroud, GL5 2QR.
At the June 2022 inspection, the governor-run pre-school catered for three- and four-year-olds.
Activities have included garden painting, playing with ice and gathering natural materials for loose-parts play and the sandpit.
No. A separate Reception application is required through the normal admissions process. School admissions are handled by the admissions office at Shire Hall in Gloucester.
Call the school office on 01453 882474 to make an appointment to see Ladybirds.
Brimscombe is nut-free to protect children with allergies.
