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Nursery at Bayards Hill School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Outdoor play alongside Reception children gives Bayards Hill’s nursery a direct connection with the next stage of school life. For three- and four-year-olds, this is a nursery within the school’s Early Years building, with term-time sessions and a team comprising a qualified teacher and an experienced practitioner with an Early Years Level 3 qualification.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 20 and 21 June 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. The practical choice is between a morning or afternoon session for children with 15 funded hours, and a weekday daytime pattern for those eligible for 30 hours.
Play and learning extend into an outdoor area shared with Reception. That gives younger children opportunities to spend time with older peers before their own move into school. Resources and equipment are intended to help children become more independent and explore the world around them.
The Early Years Curriculum shapes learning here. In parent terms, the concrete examples combine finding out about the world with learning how to play together. In June 2023, early years children planted seeds and later replanted cuttings to explore how plants grow. It is a tangible way to introduce growth through something children can handle and observe.
Social learning matters too. Early years children played contentedly, practised cooperation and developed the skills to work with other children in June 2023. These are useful foundations for joining group activities and managing shared play.
The same inspection identified school-wide weaknesses in pinpointing gaps in learning and matching later teaching to those gaps. Attendance across the school also needed attention because frequent absence interrupted learning. Those findings concern the school as a whole, rather than establishing a nursery-specific weakness.
A teacher and a Level 3 practitioner run the nursery, while support for special educational needs draws on several professional disciplines. Speech & Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and the Early Years SEN Inclusion Team (EYSENITs) contribute expertise, alongside Community Paediatricians and Health Visitors. Their advice informs planning and changes to provision, so support can respond to individual needs.
Food is a practical responsibility for families using the 30-hour pattern: children bring a meal from home to eat during their day. Parents also have access to school coffee mornings and workshops about children’s learning and wellbeing, offering opportunities to talk with staff and other families.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. For the 2026-27 admissions cycle, attending the nursery conferred no priority in the oversubscription criteria, and families had to make a separate application through Oxfordshire County Council, online or on paper. The deadline for September 2026 entry was 15 January 2026.
Shared outdoor learning provides familiarity with Reception children, but that experience is separate from admissions. Choose the nursery for the provision your child will use now, and treat the Reception application as another required step.
Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoons run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Both are term-time options for children with 15 funded hours. Those eligible for 30 hours attend Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 3:00pm. Children are expected to use every funded session.
Funding begins in the term following a child’s third birthday. Families check eligibility through Childcare Choices and give the school their 11-digit eligibility code in the half term before starting. Additional paid hours may be possible only after funded places have been allocated and if space remains; contact the school for current charges.
Register interest using the nursery registration form. School tours can be booked by phoning or emailing the office. Nursery children use their allocated doors in the Early Years building for drop-off and collection.
The nursery caters for three- and four-year-olds, with eligibility to attend beginning in the term after their third birthday.
For children with 15 funded hours, mornings are 8:45am to 11:45am and afternoons are 12:15pm to 3:15pm, term-time only. Children eligible for 30 hours attend 9:00am to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday.
No. A separate Reception application is required. Nursery attendance conferred no priority under the 2026-27 admission arrangements.
Children attending the 30-hour pattern are asked to bring a meal from home.
Complete the nursery registration form to register interest. Phone or email the school office to book a school tour.
