Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children, Hungerford
Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 4 in Hungerford. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, ended in a report card: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Before that it was rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in December 2012.
- Ofsted report card
- 1 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders and staff share the importance of children's attendance with parents and carers to help support routines and early education and prepare them for their transition to school."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Children are developing highly effective independence skills."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The nursery has a well-sequenced curriculum to support all children."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "This is an inclusive setting where all children are welcomed and cherished."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear vision of where they want the nursery to be."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The nursery has a well‑planned personal development programme, which leaders continue to strengthen."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to refine the curriculum to ensure that staff have the information they need to maximise opportunities for high-quality interactions with children and learning throughout the day"; "Leaders should maintain their clear commitment to supporting disadvantaged children while further strengthening processes and systems to enable more effective monitoring of progress and evaluation of the impact of the support provided".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children in its own words
In its own words: "Our purpose at Hungerford Nursery School is to be a place where every child plays, grows and belongs. At Hungerford Nursery School, our vision is to inspire every child to become a confident, capable and curious learner."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am, from £8.00 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
20.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 8.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 6 pupils (5.5%) received SEN support and 3 (2.8%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hungerford Rail Station, about 500 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Parsonage Lane (adjacent), 190 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children
Children at Hungerford Nursery settle well into the school day. Staff enthusiastically greet them and foster a genuine sense of excitement. The nursery's values of belonging, resilience, imagination, curiosity, kindness and sustainability are the grounding values that underpin the nurturing ethos. Staff know their key children well. Highly effective relationships with adults ensure children feel a powerful sense of belonging. As a result, children feel safe and attendance is high. A notable feature of this provision is the highly effective manner in which staff foster children's personal and social development. Children behave well and any minor disagreements are dealt with quickly. Children consistently demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. From a young age, children display impressive levels of sustained concentration in their learning. They are naturally polite and keen to help one another and their teachers. During their independent play, children are happy and eager to explore and learn. Children access a broad, stimulating curriculum. The nursery plans in a range of wider opportunities that all children benefit from. This includes visits to the woods to explore the outdoors and learn new skills such as den building. Leaders make sure that children have lots of opportunities every day to build their communication, language and literacy skills. Staff carefully consider each child's individual needs and interests. They adapt activities to ensure that these are reflected in children's play and learning experiences. Reading and high-quality story telling are woven into the day, across the provision. Recent improvements to the curriculum, particularly for early reading and maths means provision is taught effectively. The nursery's highly inclusive environment enables children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to thrive. For children that experience barriers to their learning, staff adapt the curriculum well. As such, children are achieving well. Leaders' positive partnerships with families ensure that any barriers to access are removed swiftly. This means children can access their learning successfully and they are well prepared for school.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue their work to refine the curriculum to ensure that staff have the information they need to maximise opportunities for high-quality interactions with children and learning throughout the day.
- Leaders should maintain their clear commitment to supporting disadvantaged children while further strengthening processes and systems to enable more effective monitoring of progress and evaluation of the impact of the support provided.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 21 April 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This nursery excels at nurturing children's emotional development and creating a warm, inclusive environment where every child feels valued. Staff use engaging teaching methods to build strong communication and language skills, with reading and storytelling woven throughout the day. Children develop impressive independence, resilience and positive attitudes to learning that prepare them wonderfully for their next stage of education.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and emotional development - children are calm, confident and manage emotions well
- Strong focus on communication, language and literacy through daily rhymes, songs and stories
- Highly effective relationships between staff and children creating a sense of belonging and security
- Inclusive environment with strong support systems for children with SEND and additional needs
- Well-organised learning environment with high-quality teaching and purposeful activities
Areas for Improvement
- During child-initiated activities, staff interactions could be more sharply focused to maximise learning opportunities
- Systems for evaluating the impact of additional support for disadvantaged pupils are less well embedded than those for children with SEND
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture of safeguarding where concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to the woods, emergency services visits, hatching butterflies and chicks, outdoor play including climbing and bike riding, den building
Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children is an inclusive, nurturing setting where children develop strong independence skills, positive behaviour, and a love of learning. The nursery has a well-sequenced curriculum that prepares children effectively for transition to school.
At a Glance
20.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Keep up with Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children is in West Berkshire; for families living there:
Apply to West Berkshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Hungerford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hungerford
Across West Berkshire council
Places available
2,143
Applications
1,680
Got 1st preference
94.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All secondary applications across West Berkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
6
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
8.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
109
Total Pupils
63
Boys
46
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
27.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,825
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children
What is Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children's Ofsted rating?
Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children?
No fixed boundary. When Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children is oversubscribed, West Berkshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children?
Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children has around 109 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children?
Apply through West Berkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children?
Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children is at 22 The Croft, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)