New Bridge Nursery School

About New Bridge Nursery School

New Bridge Nursery School in Reading holds an Ofsted rating of Outstanding, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. In its most recent ungraded inspection in October 2023, inspectors confirmed the school remains Outstanding, with leadership and management also judged Outstanding. This places the school in a strong position locally: of the five nursery schools in Reading local authority, four are rated Outstanding, so New Bridge is among the best-regarded early years settings in the area. The school is led by headteacher Joanne Budge and caters for children aged two to five, with 90 pupils currently on roll. Just 5.9 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average for state nurseries, suggesting a relatively mixed intake. The most informative metric for a nursery is the quality of early years provision, and while the most recent inspection did not publish a separate grade for that category, the previous graded inspection in 2014 awarded it the highest possible mark.

Academic outcomes at New Bridge Nursery School are best understood through its Ofsted record rather than exam results, as the school does not participate in SATs or other key stage assessments. The school’s early years provision was rated Outstanding in its 2014 graded inspection, and the 2023 ungraded visit found no reason to change that judgement. For a nursery, the key measure is how well children develop in communication, language, and early learning goals before they move to primary school. The school has a dedicated SEN unit and specific provisions for speech, language and communication needs, which suggests it is well equipped to support children who need extra help in these areas. Compared with the local authority average for nursery schools, New Bridge’s Outstanding rating puts it in the top tier; Reading has only one nursery school not rated Outstanding, so the school is part of a strong cohort. Parents looking for a nursery with a proven track record of high-quality early years education will find this reassuring.

The school offers a range of facilities including a gymnasium, library, art studios and a chapel, which is unusual for a state nursery and gives children access to spaces typically found in larger schools. Sports provision includes gymnastics, dance and swimming, and there is a gardening club, which supports outdoor learning and physical development. The school’s SEND provisions are a notable strength: it has a SEN unit and targeted support for speech, language and communication, making it a good fit for families whose children need early intervention. New Bridge is not oversubscribed in the data provided, and as a state nursery it follows Reading’s admissions process for two- to five-year-olds. The school is a short distance from Caversham Nursery School, another Outstanding setting, so families in the area have strong local options. This nursery will suit parents who prioritise a well-resourced, Ofsted-validated early years environment with strong support for speech and language development.

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