Chichester Nursery

Business Details

Trusted Early Years Education at Chichester Nursery

Chichester Nursery has been dedicated to providing high-quality early years education for children aged 6 months to 5 years. Our approach centres on child-led learning, allowing young minds to explore interests at their own pace while developing essential skills. Qualified teachers and experienced staff create a well-resourced, free-flow environment that nurtures discovery, creativity, and sustained concentration. OFSTED inspections consistently highlight our outstanding teaching quality, exceptional staff responsiveness, and children's rapid progress in learning.

We maintain strong partnerships with families, evidenced by glowing parent testimonials praising our passionate team and the school's positive impact on children's confidence and development. Our curriculum aligns with the Foundation Stage framework while incorporating innovative practices that foster independence and a lifelong love of learning.

Services

Nursery School Up to 3s Nursery SSC Provision SEN Support 30-Hour Funding

Highlights and features

OFSTED-rated 'Good' for outstanding teaching quality and child development
Experienced team with specialist qualifications in early years education
Innovative free-flow curriculum promoting child-led learning
Proven track record of rapid progress in children's learning and development
Exceptional staff-to-child ratios with dedicated keyworkers

Associations and certifications

OFSTED

What people say

Amazing staff Fantastic place Best possible start Excellent relationships Sustained interest

Website

Update Listing

Services

Nursery School

Our nursery school provides structured early years education for children aged 3-5 years. Following the Foundation Stage Curriculum, we create stimulating environments where qualified teachers deliver play-based learning that develops literacy, numeracy, and social skills. The free-flow approach allows children to explore interests while building confidence and independence through carefully planned activities.

Up to 3s Nursery

Specialised care for infants and toddlers aged 6 months to 3 years focuses on nurturing development through sensory play and age-appropriate activities. Our experienced nursery nurses create secure environments that encourage exploration while supporting early communication and motor skills development. The program emphasizes attachment relationships between carers and children to ensure emotional security during formative years.

SSC Provision

Our Specialist Support Class offers tailored early education for children with special educational needs. Led by qualified SEN specialists, the program provides individualized learning plans and targeted interventions. We work closely with speech therapists and external agencies to create inclusive environments where children receive personalized support while integrating with mainstream nursery activities.

SEN Support

Comprehensive support for children with special educational requirements includes dedicated SEN staff, adapted learning environments, and collaborative planning with parents and specialists. Our SENCo coordinates individual education plans while our trained assistants deliver targeted interventions. We maintain strong links with speech and language therapists to ensure holistic development for children needing extra support.

30-Hour Funding

We administer government-funded 30-hour childcare places for eligible families. Parents receive guidance through the application process with support available for meeting eligibility criteria. The funding covers extended nursery hours during term time, providing greater flexibility for working families while maintaining access to our high-quality early years education programs.

People

Ruth Campbell

Executive Headteacher

With 15 years at Chichester Nursery and prior primary school experience, Ruth holds an NPQH qualification. She oversees three nursery schools while maintaining educational standards through strategic leadership and professional development initiatives.

Clare Blanchard

Head of School

As Head of School since 2018, Clare brings primary school experience to early years education. She specializes in child development and holds qualifications including BA (Hons) in English Language and NPQML leadership accreditation.

Jess Davies

SENCo & Teacher

Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator has teaching experience across primary settings and specialized training in SEND education. Jess coordinates individual support plans while teaching in our Specialist Support Class provision.

Emma Brennan

Up to 3s Coordinator

As coordinator for our infant provision, Emma leads the team delivering specialized care for babies and toddlers. Her expertise focuses on early attachment, sensory development, and creating nurturing environments for our youngest children.

Colin McCormack

Premises Manager

Colin ensures our facilities maintain the highest safety and accessibility standards. He oversees building maintenance, security systems, and environmental adaptations to create optimal learning spaces for early years education.

Questions

What age groups do you cater for?

We provide nursery education for children aged 6 months to 5 years through our main nursery and Up to 3s provision.

How does your curriculum support child development?

Our free-flow environment follows the Foundation Stage Curriculum while encouraging child-led learning through play-based activities that develop social, emotional, and academic skills.

What are your OFSTED inspection results?

Our most recent OFSTED report rated us 'Good', highlighting outstanding teaching quality, exceptional staff support, and children's rapid progress in learning and development.

Do you offer special educational needs support?

Yes, we have a dedicated SENCo and specialized support assistants providing tailored assistance for children with additional needs through our SSC provision.

How can parents access 30-hour funding?

Parents can apply for 30-hour funding through our school, with application deadlines typically set for the end of August before each Autumn Term.

Reviews (5)

Write a Review

Terri Lewis

Nov 16, 2020 Report

Positive:Professionalism
Honestly the best nursery my little girl has been so happy here and flourished. Never had a day where she wasn't happy to go in. The staff are amazing. Would recommend to anyone. Clare has been beyond brilliant and she'll be missed greatly

Suzy Kentell

Aug 30, 2020 Report

My son was here for about 1.5 years, and has loved every day. He made some lovely friends, and the teachers are all excellent. Proper experts in their fields. They were great at identifying any areas where improvement was possible, and finding ways to get the best out of our boy.
Ruth runs a very organised operation here, and surrounds herself with the best team. From the breakfast gang in the morning (wonderful singing and joyfulness to get the day started), to the teachers, the assistants, the wonderful office staff (great at cheering me up whenever I had a wobble) to the holiday club gang,

Jane Bean

Jul 17, 2019 Report

Both my children have attended Chichester Nursery School, I can’t recommend the nursery enough! The staff are absolutely amazing, the indoor and outside space is a fantastic learning environment for the children. The staff are so dedicated and bring so much to the nursery, I can’t thank them enough!

Dana Markey

Jun 08, 2019 Report

Best nursery with the most friendly and supporting head teacher and all the staff. They have a beautiful garden ❤️

Stacey Dot

Jan 25, 2019 Report

I could write amazing things all day long about this nursery! All three of my children have been there and each one has been nurtured and cared for so well, they have been able to leave full of confidence and ready for school. All the staff are amazing, the provision is lovely and easily accessible for littles and we have always felt part of a family whilst there. Definitely a place to look at for your children!