The Oaks Nursery

An enclosed garden, gym activities in the main school and a Yellow Book linking home with nursery give The Oaks Nursery a practical, recognisable character. Children can move between indoor play and outdoor exploration, while parents contribute their own account of what has caught their child's interest. Everyday experiences provide the material for learning.

Based on the Hildenborough school site in Riding Lane, The Oaks accepts children from two years six months to school age and has capacity for 20 children. Ofsted rated it Good on 25 May 2023. That judgement is a useful starting point, alongside the detail of how children learn and the teaching improvements identified at that visit.

This is term-time provision, with morning, afternoon and full-day attendance patterns. Its strongest practical attractions are the outdoor access, a balance of adult-led activities and children's own play, and communication through an allocated key person. Families looking for nursery to fit around school terms have several ways to shape the week.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, covering communication, physical development, social relationships, literacy, mathematics, art and understanding the world. At The Oaks, language, movement and emotional development receive particular emphasis.

Children combine adult-led activities with play they choose themselves. Observations of their interests and development guide subsequent activities, keeping planning responsive to each child.

In May 2023, staff helped children expand their vocabulary by describing their actions and demonstrating pronunciation. Story sessions invited children to take part rather than just listen. These are concrete ways of bringing language into ordinary play and conversation, making learning less dependent on a separate lesson.

Gym activities in the main school add another setting for movement. Cookery, modelling and painting give children different materials and processes to explore; singing and music with movement bring sound and physical activity together. Library storytelling and local walks extend experiences beyond the nursery itself. These activities are useful complements to indoor play, with different opportunities to listen, move, make and observe.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed garden supports movement between inside and outside, and children play outdoors in different weather. The clothing expectations reflect that: families supply named wellingtons, a warm jumper and a coat, alongside spare clothes. Messy play is part of the day, rather than something children need to avoid to keep their clothes clean.

In May 2023, garden play included ride-on toys, a low tree for climbing, flower planting and a mud kitchen using natural materials. Children practised judging manageable physical challenges and caring for growing plants. Outdoor taps also let them collect water for their own exploration, giving them some control over how their play developed.

Family fundraising adds a social strand. Events across the year include Christmas Carols with Mince Pies and Raffle, an Easter Egg Hunt and the Sports Day & Leavers Party Fair. Funds support equipment and nursery improvements, connecting family participation with the resources children use.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who maintains confidential developmental records and, with parental permission, observes their learning to plan suitable activities. This gives families a consistent person with whom to discuss progress and individual needs. Parent's Evenings take place three times a year, with staff also accessible for concerns between those meetings.

The Yellow Book makes that relationship tangible. Parents add news, photographs and details of experiences at home; the key person contributes weekly. Children use the books in group conversations, so information from home also becomes something they can share with others. It is a two-way connection, with parents contributing to the picture of their child rather than only receiving updates.

A settling session before the starting date helps introduce the nursery. Staff telephone families if a child experiences undue distress and discuss alternative settling approaches. Parents may also call during the day when concerned, keeping communication open during difficult separations.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged that staff identified additional needs promptly, worked with parents and other professionals, and supported children with SEND to make good progress. Current arrangements include a SENCO role, designated safeguarding lead roles and first-aid-trained staff; developmental concerns are passed to the SENCO after observation and assessment.

In May 2023, children could use a quieter area to relax or play away from busier activity. Independence also featured in daily routines: children put on outdoor clothing, helped themselves at snack time and poured drinks. These small tasks gave them repeated opportunities to practise doing things for themselves.

Teaching needed greater consistency in two areas at that visit. Staff did not always explain how a child's behaviour affected other children, and activities did not consistently build understanding of germs and effective hygiene. Those are specific teaching points, relevant to both relationships and everyday self-care.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Riding Lane, Hildenborough, Kent TN11 9HY, on the site named by the nursery as Hildenborough CEP School. Term-time care runs Monday to Friday: morning sessions are 8.30am to 12.30pm, afternoons are 1pm to 3.30pm, and full days are 8.30am to 3.30pm. Half-day care is also offered. The morning ends before the afternoon begins, so families choosing separate sessions need to plan around those collection and start times.

Admissions take place at the start of terms, with April the final entry point in each academic year. Morning-session priority goes to children aged three and above, unless family circumstances call for a different arrangement. Where a waiting list is needed, applications are ordered by the date received. These rules matter more to planning a start than the nursery's overall capacity.

Tours are arranged by appointment, and applications use an application form. Families can contact the nursery on 01732 834401 or through its contact form. Five development days are added each year for staff training.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers 15 funded hours each week across 38 weeks of the school year, and participates in free early education for eligible two-year-olds. It does not offer the 30-hour funded arrangement. Eligibility rules apply, and the nursery's starting age remains two years six months, which families should distinguish from the age named in the funding entitlement.

Private fees are calculated termly, paid in advance and reduced by the child's funded entitlement. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Morning and full-day children bring a packed lunch with a cool pack and a non-fizzy drink; snacks are supplied during both morning and afternoon sessions, with a voluntary contribution requested separately. The lunchbox policy excludes nuts, peanut butter and nut products, and families are asked to tell staff about dietary requirements.

Moving on to School

The nursery uses some school facilities and liaises with local schools to support transition. Attendance here does not guarantee a Reception place at Hildenborough CEP School; families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The useful connection is support for the move to school, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Term-time planning. Morning, afternoon and full-day choices sit within school terms, with five development days for staff training. Match the term-time calendar to your family's holiday care needs, and ask how development days affect attendance.
• Starting age and morning priority. Children enter from two years six months, and morning priority generally favours those aged three and above. Use a tour to discuss how your child's proposed start fits the termly admissions pattern.
• Teaching follow-through. In May 2023, explanations about behaviour's effect on others and teaching about germs needed greater consistency. Ask how these now feature in activities and daily routines.
• Food and allergies. Lunch comes from home, snacks attract a voluntary contribution, and the lunchbox policy excludes nut products. Allergy-affected families should confirm current snack and food-handling practice before attending.

The Oaks suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon attendance or full days within a term-time calendar. Its garden access, school gym activities and library storytelling give children different settings for play and learning, while the Yellow Book and key-person arrangements make parent communication concrete.

Termly admissions, packed lunches and the 15-hour funded offer need to fit family plans. The May 2023 Good judgement also carries teaching points to revisit. Active play and regular home communication are the strongest reasons to consider The Oaks.