Oakwood Primary Academy Nursery Review

Little Town, a miniature village for pretend play, gives Oakwood Nursery a distinctive setting for children's imaginations. Sensory rooms and a garden add different spaces to the day, allowing active exploration and quieter experiences to sit alongside each other. This is the nursery at Oakwood Primary Academy in Eastbourne, on the school site within its Early Years Foundation Stage Village.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 11 and 12 October 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Play combines adult-organised activities with children's own choices. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides the learning: here, that means opportunities to build, paint, explore nature and develop early number skills through play. Counting objects, matching and noticing patterns bring maths into ordinary activities rather than separating it from the rest of the day.

Movement starts the morning, followed by meetings in small groups where children can talk and share. Children can move between activities indoors and outside, giving them scope to pursue their interests in different spaces. Little Town provides a setting for imagined stories, while visits to the sensory rooms bring soft surfaces, lights and quieter places into the routine.

Singing and stories bring children back together. Those staying for a full day have lunch and play outside, followed by further afternoon time in Little Town, the garden or sensory rooms. The pattern combines shared routines with choice.

Teaching to consider. In October 2022, some early years staff lacked the subject knowledge needed to reinforce children's vocabulary and understanding consistently. This limited achievement across the seven learning areas. Further staff training was required, a concern that matters alongside the appealing play spaces.

In October 2022, children in early years became familiar with the provision promptly, understood its routines and responded carefully to instructions. Those familiar routines provide a useful framework for the nursery's mix of group activities and independent choices.

A healthy snack is offered flexibly through the morning, giving children opportunities to choose and practise independence. Lunch forms part of the routine for children attending for a full day. Sensory-room visits also offer a quieter pause within a day that includes movement and outdoor play.

All nursery staff have paediatric first-aid qualifications and undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks during recruitment. For inclusion discussions, the school's Inclusion Team can be reached through the school office. This gives families a direct contact for discussing their child's support needs.

Attending Oakwood Nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat the nursery decision and the Reception application as separate steps, even though the nursery is on the school site.

Full-day attendance includes lunch and afternoon activities. Nursery enquiries go to 01323 501251, extension 5, with Oakwood Nursery based at Magnolia Walk, Eastbourne, BN22 0SS. Use this nursery contact to enquire about joining. Refer to the school for current charges.