The ‘Cottage’ Nursery was established almost 50 years ago and serves the village of Gaunts Common and the surrounding area. In September 2024, the Cottage Nursery formally merged with St James' First School and we now operate as one 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.

The Nursery building is situated in the grounds of St James’ First School, overlooking open fields, in the picturesque village of Gaunts Common, three 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 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.