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Nursery at Didcot 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Paint mixing, bread making and an outdoor building area give Acorn Class a practical character. This is Didcot Primary Academy’s pre-school provision for three-year-olds, on Chestnut Drive in Great Western Park, Didcot. Its curriculum starts with things children can handle, make and talk about, giving families a concrete picture of learning before formal schooling.
Acorn Class sits within the primary school. The nursery has its own entrance around the side of the building, a useful detail for families organising the morning handover.
Learning combines focused activities with sessions directed by adults. In December 2024, Ofsted found that children in the Nursery and Reception areas developed physically through bike riding and construction outdoors, while adult conversations, sound work and early drawing and writing supported communication. These are practical foundations: moving, talking and making marks sit alongside more structured teaching.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together language, relationships and physical development with early number work, literacy, creative expression and exploration of the world. For parents, that means learning extends beyond letters and counting. Social development and movement are part of the curriculum too.
Art gives that breadth a tangible form. Nursery children explore primary colours and dough, make collages by tearing and sticking, and use brushes or toothbrushes for paintings of the night sky. Drawing includes spirals and zigzags; clay and pattern work also feature. Children encounter different materials and ways to express an idea.
Making continues through design and technology, with bread, puppets, construction kits and vehicles among the nursery activities. Mathematics uses Master the Curriculum planning, covering matching, sorting, patterns, capacity, shapes and sequencing. These named activities make the curriculum easier to picture than a general promise of learning through play.
Settling begins with contact before entry. The nursery teacher visits children at home or in their existing setting, and parents are invited to a meeting before admission. Children with severe SEND needs can receive extra transition help from the Early Years SEND team, with an individual plan where needed. This gives families a way to discuss support before the new routine begins.
Learning Reviews give parents time with the class teacher at least twice a year. For children on the SEND register, three additional meetings each year review their Learning Plans. Parents contribute to those plans, so knowledge of the child at home can inform support in class.
Accessibility includes wheelchair access to the building and play spaces, plus a disabled toilet. The school also works with the Early Years SEND Team and speech and language services. Families can raise concerns with the class teacher first, then arrange contact with the SENDCo through the office.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Oxfordshire County Council by the normal deadline. For September 2027 entry, the application portal opens in November 2026. Choosing Acorn Class therefore needs to be a decision about the nursery itself, alongside a separate plan for school entry.
For children offered a place for September 2027, transition includes a June welcome meeting, individual teacher meetings in early July and a two-hour July stay and play. September starts with two half days before full-time attendance on the third day. These arrangements help children become familiar with the next stage; they are separate from allocation of places.
Morning nursery runs from 8:45am to 11:45am, and the afternoon starts at 12:30pm. Drop-off uses the main nursery entrance at the side of the school.
Early care. Breakfast Club is restricted to Reception through Year 6. Families choosing the nursery need to plan their morning around its own opening time.
For enquiries or an appointment, contact the office on 01235 606012 or email office@didcotprimaryacademy.org. Office hours run from 8:30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday.
Acorn Class is Didcot Primary Academy’s pre-school provision for three-year-olds.
The morning session starts at 8:45am and ends at 11:45am. Afternoon nursery starts at 12:30pm.
No. A separate application through Oxfordshire County Council is required. For September 2027 entry, the portal opens in November 2026.
The nursery teacher visits the child at home or in their existing setting, and parents are invited to a meeting before admission. Individual transition support can be planned for children with SEND.
No. Breakfast Club is for children in Reception through Year 6 only.
