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Nursery at Oakdene Primary Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Creative play, sensory exploration and movement shape Oakdene’s nursery provision, with Little Sycamores for two-year-olds alongside Nursery for children aged 3–4. Both sit within Oakdene Primary Academy in Billingham. Families can choose a morning pattern, an afternoon pattern or full days, making the nursery day a practical part of the choice as well as the learning approach.
Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 30 and 31 January 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.
Play is the starting point. Adult-guided activities sit alongside experiences children choose themselves, while children can move between indoor and outdoor learning spaces. That freedom gives them scope to follow an interest and decide how to explore it. Creative activities, sensory play, outdoor exploration, music and movement give the day several different ways into learning.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects seven areas of development. Language, physical skills and emotional and social development form the foundations; learning about the world, early mathematics, literacy and creative expression build alongside them. In parent terms, talking, moving and learning to get along matter as much as the first steps towards reading and number work. Children investigate through play, test ideas and revisit what they have tried, rather than treating each area as a separate subject.
Vocabulary receives deliberate attention. In January 2024, adults’ conversations with children developed their communication skills, and nursery children showed confidence with letter sounds. Early years children also built a secure grasp of number. Stories in other languages introduce nursery children to different ways of communicating, extending that language focus beyond English.
In January 2024, early years children became familiar with classroom routines quickly. Oakdene places emphasis on consistent routines and relationships between children, staff and parents. Regular updates and opportunities for families to participate support that connection, helping parents stay involved in their child’s learning and wellbeing.
For children taking the 30-hour nursery pattern, lunch happens in the nursery setting. Families choose either a packed lunch brought each day or a school dinner that carries a charge. Keeping the meal within the nursery makes lunchtime part of the familiar setting.
SEND support follows a cycle of assessment, planning, action and review. The school aims to identify needs early, work with parents on identification and help with outside-agency referrals where necessary. Speech and Language services and Future Steps are among its partner agencies, giving families routes to specialist involvement alongside school support.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the Stockton Borough Council admissions team using the normal application process and deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.
The school aims to support moves between stages, including for children with SEND. That support concerns the child’s transition; it does not secure an admission place.
Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am, with afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, for both Little Sycamores and Nursery. The attendance choices are five mornings, five afternoons or full-day provision. For the Nursery 30-hour pattern, the day runs Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 3.30pm, including a 45-minute lunch break.
Children aged two and those aged 3–4 may qualify for 15 or 30 funded childcare hours, depending on eligibility. Childcare Choices provides the eligibility-checking route. For additional care, wraparound provision is off-site through partner providers, so families needing a longer day should plan for a separate setting.
Nursery enquiries go to the school office on 01642 560768 or oakdene@oakdeneprimary.org.uk, and an application form is another route. Early years children are collected at their classroom door.
Little Sycamores is the two-year-old provision. Nursery caters for children aged 3–4.
Families can choose five mornings, five afternoons or full-day provision. Morning sessions are 8.45am–11.45am and afternoons are 12.30pm–3.30pm. The Nursery 30-hour pattern runs Monday to Friday, 8.45am–3.30pm, with a 45-minute lunch break.
Children may qualify for 15 or 30 hours, depending on eligibility. Families can check through Childcare Choices.
Children on the Nursery 30-hour pattern eat in the nursery setting. Families can provide a daily packed lunch or choose a charged school dinner.
No. Families must apply separately for Reception through Stockton Borough Council’s admissions team using the normal route and deadline.
