Oakwood Infant and Nursery School Nursery Review

Play and discovery give Oakwood’s nursery its character: children explore with adult support, and each has a Key Worker. This is the nursery within Oakwood Infant and Nursery School on Windsor Avenue in Clacton-on-Sea, taking children from age 3 until they move to Reception. There are 104 part-time places, split between morning and afternoon attendance. The practical starting point is a session, rather than an assumed full day.

The wider school grounds include a wood, wildlife area, field and large playground. These give the school site a distinctive outdoor setting; they should be understood as shared school features rather than a description of a separate nursery garden.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) takes a play-based form here. In parent language, children learn by exploring and discovering, with adults supporting what they do. Play is the learning method, rather than simply a break between lessons.

Morning nursery runs from 8.20am to 11.20am, followed by lunch from 11.20am to 12.10pm. The afternoon session runs from 12.10pm to 3.10pm. That separates the day into two learning sessions with a lunch interval between them; the part-time places are for morning or afternoon attendance.

In March 2022, Ofsted found that adults took part in early-years imaginative play and used questions to extend children’s thinking. For a parent, the useful detail is the adult’s active role: joining a child’s idea and helping them think further. During that same inspection, nursery children were learning sounds quickly, with books and stories helping build their interest in reading. Early reading therefore has a place alongside discovery and imaginative play.

Every nursery child has a Key Worker. That gives families an identified role around their child’s care, alongside the adults supporting learning through play. Communication also includes a school newsletter sent home each Friday, keeping parents informed about school information and events.

Food has a place in the nursery routine: children receive a free fruit or vegetable snack in the middle of the morning. School catering mainly prepares meals from scratch, using fresh ingredients where possible, and children may bring a packed lunch instead. Lunchboxes must exclude sweets and fizzy drinks. These are practical details for planning food around attendance.

Across Oakwood, SEND adaptations include visual prompts, adult help and modelling. Children with higher levels of need have personalised curriculum arrangements and timetables. The emphasis is on matching support to the child while maximising time alongside classmates, rather than treating every need in the same way.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Essex County Council handles school admissions, with applications directed to Planning and Admissions at admissions@essex.gov.uk.

Sibling attendance and distance from school are the oversubscription factors described by Oakwood. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions: a familiar school setting does not itself secure admission.

Morning and afternoon places are the nursery’s attendance model. Use the session times above when planning childcare around a place.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01255 421168 or email admin@oakwoodinfantsandnurseryschool.co.uk. The office accepts questions by telephone or email, giving families a direct point of contact.