St Anne's Nursery

Lavender picked for play dough and a house built for snails give this Oxford nursery's inspection-era character unusually concrete shape. Nature supplied materials, questions and projects rather than simply a backdrop to play.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated St Anne's Nursery Outstanding, describing an ambitious curriculum centred on nature and children's interests. The nursery is at St. Anne's College, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HS, with capacity for 12 children aged 36 to 48 months.

In November 2022, children remembered how to make play dough and fetched lavender from the garden to scent it. An interest in snails led to building them a home and investigating their food. These examples show how a child's question could become a practical project, with opportunities to remember instructions, investigate and explain ideas.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the November 2022 account illustrates learning through practical exploration: children used a tripod and suspended water bag to investigate weight and volume, while the sandpit supported sustained play.

Garden knowledge was specific. In November 2022, children could identify marjoram, rosemary and nasturtium, and distinguish chocolate mint from spearmint. Tasting herbs prompted comparisons with familiar foods. That gave conversation something tangible to build on.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff understanding their protective responsibilities and leaders checking suitability and reviewing risks. This is a dated judgement.

During November 2022, younger children shared stories and rhymes with adults while settling. Books, social stories and photographs also supported communication: pictures of earlier constructions helped children revisit what they had made and describe it in detail. Familiar experiences supplied the starting point for conversation.

Community relationships had a practical expression that month. Children shared garden produce and exchanged handmade gifts with others in the nursery community, linking growing and making with giving.

The address is St. Anne's College, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HS. The current age range is 36 to 48 months; the whole-setting capacity of 12 is a place total, not a room size or a daily group size.

In November 2022, the nursery received early-education funding for children aged three and four. That describes participation at the time of the inspection, rather than a current funding arrangement.

• Preschool age range. The current range is 36 to 48 months. This makes the setting relevant to families choosing care for that specific stage.
• Dated assessment. The Outstanding judgement dates to November 2022. Treat the garden projects and care examples as an account of that period.
• Attendance and costs. Before joining, what attendance patterns, funded-hour arrangements, meal charges and consumables terms would apply to your child?

For parents who value learning built around plants, making and children's own investigations, the November 2022 account offers compelling examples. Its strength is the connection between practical activity and conversation: lavender becomes an ingredient, a snail becomes a research subject, and garden produce becomes something to share. Families choosing for a child aged 36 to 48 months have a clear age fit, alongside a strong, dated inspection assessment.