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Nursery at Oakfield 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Den, Snug and Studio give Oakfield’s nursery its own identity within the primary academy. These three spaces serve children aged three and four, with resources children can choose for themselves. Independence starts with small decisions about what to use and where to play.
This is a sessional nursery operating during term time, with both morning and afternoon attendance and some 30-hour places. It sits within the school’s Foundation Years section. At the Ofsted inspection on 5 and 6 October 2021, early years provision was judged Good; that judgement covers the school’s early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Choice shapes the session. A flexible drop-off leads into free-flow play, followed by time in small groups. Open-plan workshop spaces let children move between resources and make decisions about their activities. Staff plan around individual interests, using observation and discussion to decide what learning to offer next.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides that planning: staff use it to shape learning and development experiences around each child. Alongside it, Laevers Well-being Scales and Involvement Scales help staff consider children’s well-being and engagement. The nursery’s approach favours practical experiences and opportunities to return to an activity, so children can explore an interest repeatedly rather than move straight on.
Cooking takes place in the nursery’s own kitchen, and children regularly learn outdoors. Dancing and Forest school are also provided by external providers. These add movement and practical activity to the choices within the nursery spaces.
Language had a clear place in early years teaching in October 2021. Adults demonstrated complete sentences, while nursery phonics introduced children to early reading. Activities gave children opportunities to practise those skills. For parents, the useful distinction is that child-led interests sit alongside purposeful adult teaching.
Settling begins with a conversation about the family’s individual requirements after an application is received. Staff then arrange the settling process for parent and child. Keyworkers discuss the learning frameworks during home visits and/or settling, giving families a chance to understand the approach before routines become familiar.
Frequent conversations with parents help staff understand children’s changing interests and feed into planning. There is a nursery SENCo, while the school’s inclusion team includes speech and language support, therapeutic play and family liaison roles. That gives families identifiable routes for discussing additional needs.
Freshly cooked hot lunches and healthy snacks are provided each day. Families can instead supply a healthy packed lunch, following the nursery’s food rules: nuts, confectionery, fizzy drinks and highly processed foods are excluded. Packed lunches cannot be warmed by staff, so the meal needs to work cold.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee an Oakfield Reception place. A separate application is required, and nursery attendance is not one of the school’s stated oversubscription criteria. Familiarity with the setting should therefore be kept separate from the allocation of a school place.
The application route is Kent County Council’s primary admissions service at www.kent.gov.uk/primaryadmissions. For the September 2026 intake, the main-round deadline was midnight on 15 January 2026. That cycle is past. Families must apply again through the normal Reception process by the deadline for their child’s intake.
Morning sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am, Monday to Friday. Afternoon attendance starts at 12:30pm and ends at 3:45pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; Thursday finishes at 2:30pm. Morning collection can begin at 11:15am, and afternoon collection on the longer days can begin at 3:15pm.
The nursery opens for 38 weeks annually. Universal funding provides 15 hours from the term after a child’s third birthday; eligible working parents can apply for up to 30 funded hours weekly. Hours cannot be compressed into a different delivery pattern, and attendance patterns depend on availability.
Meals and consumables carry additional charges, which are not a condition of taking a funded place. Contact the school for current charges. Once settled, nursery children may attend The Hideout breakfast and after-school provision, extending childcare beyond nursery sessions. To enquire or arrange a nursery visit, call 01322 220831; applications use the nursery admission form.
It offers funded places for children aged three and four.
Flexible drop-off is followed by free-flow play and small-group time. Children choose resources, with staff planning learning around their interests.
Yes. It must meet the nursery’s healthy eating rules and exclude nuts, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks and highly processed foods. Staff cannot heat it.
No. Reception requires a separate application, and nursery attendance is not among the school’s stated oversubscription criteria.
Yes. Nursery children can use The Hideout breakfast and after-school clubs once they have settled, subject to availability.
