About Us

The ‘Cottage’ Nursery has been established for over 40 years. We are situated in the grounds of St James’ First School, overlooking open fields, in the picturesque village of Gaunts Common 3 miles from Wimborne Town Centre. We aim to make learning fun and the Cottage a great place to come to. This is a fantastic community environment working in partnership with the children, parents, staff and committee.

We offer flexible childcare at highly competitive hourly rates and (No top-up fees), which can be tailored to the individual needs of each family, for children aged 2 to 9 years (end of year 4). We are open Monday – Friday 8 am – 6 pm during term time.

In recent developments, we have merged with St. James’ First School, St James’ Church of England VC First School, and we now operate as a unified educational institution, providing continuous care and learning for children aged 2 to 9 years. We are excited about the opportunities this merger brings and look forward to the continued development of our services and facilities in the near future, as we work together to enrich the educational experience for all our children.

Our highly qualified team of staff adhere to the correct child-to-staff ratios in line with Ofsted recommendations. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. All children are treated as individuals and their learning journey reflects this. We accept the Government Funding Entitlements for children aged 2, 3, and 4 years old.

To view the setting and meet our team or come for a taster session, please phone 01285 840679 or email Claire at nurseryoffice@stjames.dsat.org for more information.