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Nursery at Hardwick Primary School and Nursery
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play chosen by children takes up much of the day at Hardwick, with adults bringing them together or working individually when an activity calls for it. This is nursery learning with room for children’s own interests. The provision belongs to Hardwick Primary School in Banbury and caters for ages two to four, with entry from the term after a child turns two.
There are two age groups: two-year-olds and children aged three to four. Older two-year-olds may join the older room when applications from the younger group outnumber those from older children. Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 24 and 25 September 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school.
Children spend substantial time pursuing activities they choose, alongside gatherings led by staff and individual teaching. For the youngest, organised play provides practical experiences through which to understand their surroundings. Individual work can address a difficulty or extend a child’s thinking, so the day combines personal interests with adult guidance.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects learning with everyday development. Children practise speaking and listening, managing feelings, forming relationships and caring for themselves. Counting, exploring shapes, reading and writing sit alongside imaginative work with materials and learning about people, technology and the world. These are connected experiences rather than simply preparation for lessons later on.
Language has concrete supports. Colourful Semantics visuals appear on a teaching wall or above the whiteboard, and adults use Makaton signs to support sentence components. These give children visual and signed ways to connect words with meaning. Children may also participate in the Forest Schools Project, taking learning into an outdoor environment.
In September 2024, early years children showed sustained attention during carefully targeted teaching activities and received skilled help with language development. Staff also established expectations and routines from the start, helping children understand how learning together works.
Settling begins with a familiar adult connection. Each child has a Key Person, who makes a home visit before the start; families are also encouraged to make a couple of brief nursery visits. The nursery acknowledges that separation can take time and encourages families to take the time they need with staff support.
Class Dojo lets parents follow their child’s learning and contribute achievements from home. The key worker sets learning targets and updates them as children achieve them, giving families specific next steps to follow. WellComm Assessment is used on entry and through EYFS to identify language support needs. Early Talk Boost is among the early years communication interventions, while nursery support exceeding ordinary staffing ratios requires local authority funding to be requested and received.
Lunch can be a meal prepared by the school kitchen or a healthy packed lunch brought from home. Contact the school for current meal charges. Toilet training is supported in partnership with parents, and children are not excluded from activities because they are still learning this skill.
Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor brings automatic transfer. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority’s normal process. For the September 2027 intake, applications use Oxfordshire County Council’s coordinated scheme, with a deadline of 15 January 2027.
Attendance brings no Reception priority for that intake. After places for children with an education, health and care plan naming Hardwick are allocated, oversubscription categories cover looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, children of staff and other applicants, with distance used within categories. Familiarity with the school does not change that allocation.
Preparation is a separate matter. A welcome meeting, home visits, contact with pre-school professionals and a stay-and-play taster help incoming children and families get to know routines, staff and the classroom.
Term-time opening runs from 8:40am to 3:10pm. The 15-hour patterns pair Monday and Tuesday with Wednesday 8:40am to 10:40am, or Thursday and Friday with Wednesday 1:10pm to 3:10pm. The 30-hour pattern covers Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, ending at 12:40pm on Wednesday. A 32.5-hour option covers Monday to Friday throughout opening hours.
Wednesday extensions. Optional paid half days allow three full days of attendance, subject to availability. Families using 30-hour places can also pay to extend Wednesday. Check current charges with the school.
Universal funding provides 15 weekly hours from the term after the third birthday; eligible working families may access 30 hours, and some two-year-olds qualify for 15 hours through Early Learning. Uniform combines a school-coloured sweatshirt and T-shirt with black shorts, leggings or jogging bottoms. Send nursery enquiries to nursery.banb@glfschools.org. For January or April 2027 entry, complete the 2026–2027 nursery application form.
Children aged two to four attend, with eligibility beginning in the term after their second birthday.
A Key Person visits the family at home before the child starts. A couple of short nursery visits are also encouraged, with staff supporting families through separation.
Yes. The school kitchen prepares lunches, or children can bring a healthy packed lunch. Contact the school for current meal charges.
No. For September 2027, nursery attendance is not an oversubscription category. A separate application is required, and attendance does not guarantee admission.
There are two 15-hour patterns, a 30-hour pattern with a shorter Wednesday, and a 32.5-hour Monday-to-Friday option. Optional paid Wednesday half days are subject to availability.
