Dashwood Banbury Academy Nursery

Books, play resources and space to run outdoors give Cherry Class its starting point: a purpose-built room for children aged 2–3, alongside Plum Class for ages 3–4. This is Dashwood Banbury Academy’s own nursery provision, on the school site in Banbury.

For 2026/27, Cherry has a maximum of 24 funded places, dependent on demand and staffing. Plum admits up to 60 children across three intakes. These are annual admission numbers, rather than a count of children sharing a room at once.

Language, numbers and purposeful play shape the early years curriculum. In June 2023, Ofsted found that free play supported children’s movement and language development, with early learning designed to prepare children for later learning. For parents, that means play has a learning purpose alongside the freedom to explore.

Cherry’s transport topic in autumn 2024 gives a concrete example. Children discussed story pictures, sang familiar rhymes and made marks for display. Number songs and counting sat alongside sorting vehicles, comparing their sizes and examining shapes. Colour and texture also featured in creative work. These activities connect early communication and maths to something children can recognise from everyday life.

Outside play equipment supports larger movements; other activities develop hand and finger skills. Cherry’s outdoor space gives children room for running and exploration, while books and toys provide different starting points inside.

For Cherry’s autumn 2024 intake, settling support included help with class routines and expectations. Nursery starts are staggered in the preliminary 2026/27 calendar, with individual dates communicated directly to families. Plan around the child’s assigned start date, rather than assuming the general school opening date applies.

For additional needs, support is organised through class staff and the special educational needs coordinator. Depending on the child, it can include pictures or simpler language, individual activities and small-group work. Specialist advice includes access to an Early Years Special Educational Needs Inclusion Teacher and Speech and Language Therapist. Parents participate in decisions about support and receive personalised targets and reports.

Lunch occupies 11.45 am–12.15 pm. Families using the 30-hour nursery pattern can book a school meal through Arbor, with a separate charge. This makes meal booking another part of planning the longer day.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority’s Common Application Form and follow the normal application timetable; for Oxfordshire families, the route is Oxfordshire County Council.

Nursery attendance itself gives no Reception priority under the 2026/27 arrangements. Allocation instead follows the relevant education, health and care plan provisions and criteria covering children in care or previously in care, siblings, qualifying staff children and distance. Choose the nursery for the nursery experience, while treating Reception as a separate decision.

Continuity of support is a different matter. In June 2023, leaders built knowledge of children and families from Nursery and passed that information onwards as children progressed through school. That supports continuity of care; it does not confer an admissions advantage.

The 15-hour funded pattern runs Monday to Friday during term time: either 8.45–11.45 am or 12.15–3.15 pm. During term time, the 30-hour pattern runs 8.45 am–3.15 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, finishing at 12.45 pm on Wednesday. That shorter Wednesday matters for working families.

An optional paid Wednesday extension takes attendance to 3.15 pm. Funded and fee-paying places are offered, with 15- and 30-hour funding from age 2 subject to eligibility. Use the Best Start in Life eligibility checker and contact the school office for current charges and place enquiries on 01295 263240.