Kids Planet Bradmore Road Day Nursery

A garden reached directly from every room, an awe and wonder shed and a teepee give Bradmore Road a clear outdoor character. Its other defining feature is eligibility: this Oxford nursery serves eligible University of Oxford staff members and people studying at the university. That restriction comes before any comparison of care or cost.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding on 16 August 2023. It accepts children aged 3 to 60 months and has 49 places in total. Separate spaces for different ages let babies and older children explore in environments planned for their stage of development, rather than sharing one undifferentiated play space.

The strongest combination here is access to outdoor play and learning shaped around children's interests. Full-day and full-time bookings run within the weekday opening window, with the practical detail below.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play supports communication, physical skills and growing independence. Bradmore Road's current approach builds activities around what interests each child, with natural materials and resources that can be used in different ways. The emphasis is exploration rather than a fixed use for every object.

In August 2023, children turned outdoor resources into a pretend fire engine, adding places to sit and equipment for hoses. Adults used questions to develop their ideas. This is a useful illustration of the approach: a child's play becomes an opportunity to think through a problem, explain an intention and try another solution.

Other August 2023 activities brought early mathematics into practical play. Older children examined the markings on measuring jugs, while songs and books introduced younger children to numbers. Sensory exploration included fruit, seeds and tea bags, with conversations about texture and smell as water changed the materials. Learning had something tangible to work with.

Language also extended beyond English in August 2023. Older children sang and counted in Spanish, and younger children joined the accompanying movements. Daily yoga for older children sat alongside younger children's physical exploration, including scooping oats whose texture changed when water was added. These were different routes into movement and coordination, appropriate to the children taking part.

Outdoor and Community Life

Every room has direct access to the garden, allowing children to move between inside activities and outdoor play. The awe and wonder shed and teepee provide smaller spaces for stories, imaginative play and quieter moments. For a child who enjoys being outside but also needs somewhere calm, those features give the garden more than one purpose.

In August 2023, outdoor life included growing and watering plants and vegetables, as well as eating and resting in garden spaces. A discovery of frog spawn led to a visit to a local park pond and further activities about frogs' development. The important detail is the connection between discovery and follow-up: something children noticed became the starting point for further exploration.

Community activities include charity walks and fundraising with themes. Children have also taken part in Barnardo’s Big Toddle Woddle, a fundraising event combining play and exploration. This gives families a concrete example of community involvement alongside the nursery's everyday indoor and outdoor activities.

At its August 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified successful support for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language. The practical methods matter as much as that judgement.

In August 2023, staff used pictures and simple signs to help children express what they needed. Families contributed words and phrases from home languages, and activities were adjusted for children with additional needs. Children also explored how Braille represents words. These examples show how communication was approached through several routes, rather than expecting every child to participate in the same way.

Emotional support had a physical place in August 2023: an area where children could explore feelings and share worries. Staff also worked with families and local schools on the move to school. Preparation included helping children understand the change, so transition work addressed emotions as well as practical independence.

Families now receive updates through Famly, the nursery parent app included in the group-wide package offered here. Its real-time updates give parents a connection with their child's day. In August 2023, communication also included regular feedback about development and ways to continue learning at home, alongside nursery events where families could see activities and meet one another.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 4 Bradmore Road, Oxford, OX2 6QW. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks of the year; bank holidays and Christmas are closure periods.

The booking choices are Full Day, from 08:00 to 18:00, and Full Time (5 Full Days), using those same hours. The distinction is between booking full days and a five-day weekly pattern. Neither should be read as a morning or afternoon session. These arrangements suit families whose childcare needs fit a complete nursery day.

Eligibility is restricted to University of Oxford staff members and people studying at the university who meet the nursery's eligibility conditions. The branch contact routes are telephone and email, and applications use the University route. That university connection concerns access to nursery care, rather than an onward school relationship.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside privately paid care. The group-wide inclusive package offered at Bradmore Road includes meals and snacks in the private fee, together with sun cream, formula, wipes and nappies; sports activities and Famly are included too.

For days on which early years funding is used, meals, consumables and activities carry separate charges. Families should therefore distinguish the private package from the funded part of a booking when comparing costs. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Freshly prepared food includes snacks and meals, with provision for dietary needs. The daily packing implications are straightforward for private care: the listed nappies, wipes, formula and sun cream are included, rather than items parents routinely supply under that package.

• University eligibility. Bradmore Road serves eligible University of Oxford staff members and people studying at the university. Establish how the eligibility conditions apply to your family before pursuing a booking.
• Complete-day attendance. Full Day bookings and the Full Time (5 Full Days) package run from 08:00 to 18:00. At a visit, discuss how your child's rest and activity routines would fit that day.
• Funding changes the cost structure. Meals, consumables and activities are charged separately on days using early years funding. Request a written quotation that separates those items from privately paid childcare.
• Outdoor choice and quiet space. Every room connects to the garden, with the awe and wonder shed and teepee adding calmer play areas. During a visit, ask how children are supported to choose between active outdoor play and rest.

Bradmore Road suits eligible university families choosing full-day bookings or a full-time five-day pattern, especially those who value direct garden access and learning built around children's interests. The shed, teepee and age-specific spaces make that offer concrete.

The August 2023 Outstanding judgement is a strong starting point, while the attendance pattern and different charging arrangements for funded care deserve equal weight in the decision. Eligibility is decisive. For families who meet it, the combination of outdoor choice, imaginative resources and communication through Famly gives this nursery a clear practical identity.