Little Oaks Nursery at Tirlebrook Primary School

Stories, making and the Woodland Workshop give Little Oaks its character. Tirlebrook Primary School’s nursery welcomes three- and four-year-olds into a separate building across the playground from the Reception classroom. It belongs to the school’s early years provision, with its own classroom and outdoor learning area. The layout gives nursery children a base of their own while keeping the wider school close.

In June 2026, Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision to meet the Expected standard. This judgement covers early years across the school. Within Nursery, stories and everyday routines help children develop both learning skills and friendships.

Play and adult-guided activities share the day. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) gives particular emphasis here to talking and understanding language, physical development, and children’s emotional and social development. For parents, that means learning includes communicating an idea, becoming more independent and getting along with other children, alongside early reading and number work.

Inside, children build, make things and explore arts and crafts through play and organised activities. Outdoors, they have space to explore, plus access to the school grounds and the Woodland Workshop. These give learning different settings: the nursery classroom is only part of the experience.

Stories have a clear place in Nursery. Across early years, daily shared reading introduces vocabulary, includes questions about the text and encourages discussion of pictures. Talk for Writing begins with children engaging with a model text, which can then inspire play activities while adults demonstrate writing. This connects spoken language with the beginnings of written expression.

White Rose Maths supports the sequence of early years mathematics, with further opportunities woven into classroom activities and teaching that responds to the moment. Art also forms part of the ongoing play provision, linking creative expression with communication and social development. In June 2026, early years teaching responded promptly to children’s starting points, including needs in language and physical development. Activities could therefore address what individual children needed to practise.

Relationships help children settle. In June 2026, early years staff built caring connections with children, who settled readily and developed friendships. Nursery snack time also served a learning purpose: children practised listening and waiting for their turn. Familiar routines carry useful social lessons.

Home visits, regular contact and opportunities to share learning form part of the early years partnership with families. For additional needs, the school has a SEND coordinator and a governor with SEND responsibility; families can contact sendco@tirlebrook.gloucs.sch.uk to discuss support.

A school dinner cooked on site is an option for nursery children. The daily menu includes a vegetarian hot choice alongside another hot meal, with salad, bread, fruit and a homemade dessert. Families must tell the office about allergies, intolerances or other dietary needs so the catering team can prepare suitable meals.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. Gloucestershire County Council is the route for school-place application information.

Little Oaks works with the school’s early years and Reception teams to help children prepare for school. That educational preparation is separate from the allocation of places: choosing the nursery should not be treated as securing Reception admission.

Minimum attendance. Children registered at Little Oaks must attend at least four sessions each week. Families need to fit that commitment into their childcare plans. Request a Registration of Interest Form from the school office at littleoaks@tirlebrook.gloucs.sch.uk.

Breakfast Club and Tirlebrookers After School Club both accept nursery children. Breakfast care runs on school days, with an early-start option from 7:45am. Tirlebrookers runs Monday to Thursday, taking nursery children from 3:00pm until 5:30pm. Friday therefore needs a different afternoon childcare arrangement for families requiring that cover.

Both clubs require advance booking and payment through ScoPay, plus registration, contract and permission forms returned to the office. Ask the school for current charges. Their shared Secret Garden base includes a dining area, a calm zone and outdoor play space. Breakfast includes options such as cereal and fruit; after-school care starts with a snack before play or organised activities.