Flo's Nature Nursery

An apple tree, food growing and days spent largely outdoors give Flo's Nature Nursery a clear identity. Based at Flo's - The Place in the Park in Oxford, it uses Florence Park, Kate’s Place and Oxford City Farm to extend children’s experiences beyond its own gardens. Nature shapes the ordinary day here, rather than being reserved for an occasional outing.

Children can start from their second birthday, and the nursery caters for ages two to four. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection on 18 May 2021. The current offer combines outdoor exploration, vegetarian food prepared by the on-site café and a key-person system that begins before a child starts attending.

The usual booking requirement is at least two full days each week, with shorter-session exceptions for particular circumstances.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the foundation: children’s learning encompasses communication, physical development, relationships, literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding their world. Practitioners use observations of children’s interests and developmental needs to plan their next activities.

Forest School adds regular learning outdoors, including nature walks, observing wildlife and caring for plants. The nursery calls its walks and outings Adventures; these can include sessions at the NaturEscape, park trips or special outings. Children have time to choose their own play, with meals, rest and circle time giving the day its structure.

Seasonal experiences make this approach tangible. Children plant seeds, harvest vegetables and bake bread; watching caterpillars and tadpoles develop introduces change over time. Hatching ducklings brings another opportunity to observe living things closely. These are concrete experiences for families who want nature to be part of their child’s everyday learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two enclosed gardens are accessible throughout the day, with shelter and shade supporting their use across the seasons. Fruit trees and raised beds give children opportunities to grow herbs, vegetables and fruit. A mud kitchen adds messy play. Waterproof clothing and spare clothes are practical essentials for this outdoor-heavy routine.

Indoor space serves meals, sleep and smaller-group activities, as well as warming up in winter. The balance is clear: children spend most of their time outside, while indoor space supports the parts of the day that need it.

Links with Boundary Brook Nature Reserve and Cowley Library broaden the local connections. Visiting authors, community police officers and the fire and rescue service add different perspectives, while parents can contribute their skills and interests. These experiences take learning beyond the garden without replacing its central role.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is assigned before a child starts, giving the family an established contact for settling and day-to-day questions. When attendance falls on a day that person does not work, a buddy key person takes the role. This matters because the nursery explicitly plans for continuity across different attendance patterns.

Settling normally involves three visits, increasing in length and eventually including a meal. An All About Me sheet gathers the child’s interests and preferences beforehand; extra settling sessions can be discussed individually. During the first couple of weeks, parents need to be on hand if their child becomes distressed and cannot readily be comforted by their key person.

Famly connects home and nursery. Parents can contribute observations, comment on their child’s Learning Journey and share information that helps staff plan activities. Daily conversations are supplemented by an end-of-year development review, with calls or meetings possible between reviews. Before moving to school, the key person prepares a transition report covering learning, interests and additional support needs, shared with the family and receiving school.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND support follows a Graduated Approach: identify concerns, assess needs, plan interventions and review progress. Parents contribute alongside the key person and SENCO, with external advice used where needed. A SEN support action plan specifies the intervention, who delivers it and the resources required, with a review agreed at least termly. Medical interventions can be incorporated through a health care plan.

Toilet learning is coordinated with parents through an agreed plan. The approach uses encouragement and books rather than sticker rewards, helping home and nursery work consistently.

Flo’s Café prepares vegetarian meals on a two-week menu reviewed three times a year. The nursery’s allergy policy adopts a nut-free menu and requires families to communicate dietary needs through Famly and the key person.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Flo's - The Place In The Park, Rymers Lane, Oxford, OX4 3JZ. Opening hours are 8.15am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, across 48 weeks a year. The winter closure runs from 23 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 inclusive, with the final date an INSET day.

All Day attendance runs from 8.45am to 5pm, normally with a minimum booking of two full days weekly. Breakfast Club runs from 8.15am to 8.45am, offering cereal or toast and fruit before the main day.

Morning Session hours are 8.45am to 12.45pm; Afternoon Session hours are 1pm to 5pm. These shorter patterns are conditional: children receiving only 15 hours of FRAS funding may be offered three half-days, subject to availability. Children already attending Flo’s Forest School at Barracks Lane Garden who use only their 30-hour funding may use the remaining 15 hours for one and a half days at Flo's Nature Nursery instead of two days. Shorter days for a child with special educational needs can also be agreed individually with the SEN Coordinator and manager.

Applications use the nursery’s waiting-list form. Children must be at least one year old to join the list, and allocation rounds take place in June for September starts, November for January and February for April. Joining the list is therefore a planning step rather than an offer of a place.

Funding and Paid Extras

The funding entitlements accepted are 15 hours of Universal Funding, 15 hours of Early Learning Funding for Families Receiving Additional Support (FRAS), and up to 30 hours of Working Family Funding, subject to the relevant eligibility conditions. Private session fees include meals and enhancements; current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation, with the charge structure outlined on its fees and funding page.

Meals are charged separately alongside funded hours, except that Flo’s covers them for children receiving means-tested two-year-old funding or Pupil Premium; for the former group, charges begin in the term of the third birthday unless Pupil Premium eligibility applies. Parents supply nappies, wipes and any required cream, while the nursery provides cotton wool and water.

Contributions towards enhancements are requested. A registration charge is refunded for fully funded children once attendance begins and the relevant parental declaration is completed; fully funded children also do not need a deposit. For other bookings, the refundable deposit is returned after the final invoice has been paid.

• Outdoor readiness. Most of the day takes place outside, including in colder weather. During a visit, discuss how the indoor rest arrangements and outdoor routine would work for your child.
• Shorter attendance. Two full days are the usual minimum, and half-days depend on specific funding or individual support circumstances. Discuss the applicable exception before building family arrangements around a shorter pattern.
• Dietary needs and funded extras. The menu is vegetarian and the allergy policy specifies a nut-free menu, while funded meals have charges and qualifying exemptions. Confirm current allergy practice and the charges applicable to your child together.

Flo's Nature Nursery suits families who want outdoor exploration, gardening and local outings to shape their child’s day. The strongest practical combination is an outdoor-led routine with advance settling, a named key-person role and shared learning records. It serves regular full-day attendance, an earlier start through Breakfast Club, and conditional morning or afternoon arrangements. Families seeking shorter days need to fit the stated exceptions; those comfortable with the usual full-day commitment have a clearly defined nature-led option.