Crazy 4 Kids Radstone Nursery & Out Of School Club

A purpose-built eco building, a dedicated Baby Room and outdoor space for climbing and riding give Radstone a recognisable character. Behind The Radstone Primary School, in Brackley's Poppyfields development, the nursery combines early-years care with clubs for school-age children. It has 50 places in total. These are whole-setting places, rather than a measure of any room's size.

At its 5 December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, while identifying two teaching priorities: making group activities meaningful for everyone taking part and responding more fully to children's emerging interests. That gives families a useful starting point for judging the teaching, alongside the dedicated Baby Room.

Nursery core hours run from 8am to 5pm across 51 weeks of the year, with separate breakfast and after-school clubs for school-age children.

Rooms and Ages

The move into the eco building took place in December 2021, bringing two large rooms and an outdoor area. The Baby Room accepts children from 9 months and has staff specifically supporting this youngest age group. For families considering baby care, a dedicated room is an important practical distinction from provision centred entirely on older children.

Playrooms have resources for children's play, while the outdoor space accommodates running, climbing and riding. This gives physical activity a place in the nursery day alongside indoor exploration. The baby provision deserves its own consideration: the December 2022 observations describe an older cohort and should be read in that context.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and care: children learn through play shaped around their interests and stage of development. In parent terms, children's play becomes the starting point for learning, rather than every child being expected to complete the same activity in the same way. Parents contribute to that planning.

In December 2022, pretend baking developed into conversations about cooking, mixing and time. Outside, children filled containers using scoops and spoons, then imagined making cake in the mud kitchen. Mathematical language had a practical purpose in their play: children estimated how long their creations would take to cook.

Creative choices were also visible that December. Children selected craft materials themselves and made pictures using glue and decorative gems. During conversation, staff introduced unfamiliar vocabulary and children tried the words out. These examples show how ordinary play could create opportunities for language and independent decisions.

There were limits to that approach. In December 2022, some children disengaged from group sessions because the activities did not match everyone's needs. Staff also sometimes missed opportunities to develop an unexpected interest, including children's wish to hang decorations they were exploring. The question for families is how the team now balances a planned activity with a child's own direction.

In December 2022, children sought help from familiar adults, and staff recognised when reassurance was needed. Independence was practised through everyday tasks, including putting on coats and changing into wellington boots. Outside, children attempted balancing on tyres with adults available to help. Care and learning met in these small steps towards doing things for themselves.

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with staff recognising and reporting concerns, maintaining supervision during play and meals, and using risk assessments to address hazards. This is a dated judgement, rather than a description of today's staffing arrangements.

Home learning had a concrete role in December 2022. Staff used information about children's experiences at home to plan activities, and provided library books for children with fewer opportunities to read. Families were encouraged to extend those stories through related activities. That created a connection between conversations at nursery and learning at home.

Meals are made on site from scratch each day. For parents, this is a clear food arrangement within the nursery's daily routine.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Gold Avenue, Brackley, NN13 6RG. Its core nursery day runs from 8am to 5pm, with operation across 51 weeks each year. These are the nursery hours; the school-age clubs have their own timetable.

Breakfast club runs from 7.45am to 8.30am. After-school club runs from 3.15pm to 5pm, and there is also a holiday club. The out-of-school offer emphasises children's choices and independence, with cooking, construction, crafts, puzzles and team games among the activities. It also uses the outdoor area, giving school-age children space for active play beyond the classroom day.

Booking enquiries can be made directly through the Radstone enquiry route or by email to radstone@crazy4kids.co.uk. The nursery and out-of-school provision serve different stages of family life, so the appropriate attendance pattern matters as much as the overall operating window.

Funding and Moving on to School

In December 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families considering the current charge structure should include funding and paid extras in their booking discussion.

The nursery describes strong links with the local school and occupies a building behind The Radstone Primary School. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process, so childcare arrangements and the school application remain separate decisions.

• Baby care. The Baby Room takes children from 9 months. At a visit, ask how settling, sleep and communication are organised for babies, and what the room's usual group size means for your child.
• Teaching in groups. December 2022 brought two priorities: better-matched group activities and more responsive child-led learning. Ask for current examples of how story sessions accommodate different stages and how staff develop an unexpected interest.
• Funding and extras. Funded early education was part of the December 2022 offer. Before booking, ask for a written quotation covering your intended hours, funded entitlement, meals and non-food consumables.

Radstone suits families considering nursery care within an 8am-to-5pm core day, as well as those needing breakfast club and after-school club for school-age children. The eco building, Baby Room and outdoor space give the practical offer substance. The December 2022 judgement provides a positive inspection position, with clear teaching questions to carry into a visit. For baby families, the youngest children's daily arrangements deserve particular attention alongside that older inspection picture.