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Nursery at Botley 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Established routines and outdoor learning give Butterfly, Botley School’s nursery class, its character. Children usually join in the term following their third birthday, becoming part of the school’s Early Years setting on Elms Road in Oxford. Morning, afternoon and longer attendance patterns give families different ways to organise the nursery week.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 10 and 11 July 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school. In July 2024, learning followed a carefully ordered curriculum, with activities organised by staff who understood the children’s learning and routines that helped children understand their day.
Teaching connects knowledge across activities, rather than treating each experience as an isolated task. In July 2024, children’s learning was purposeful and held their interest; the environment gave them opportunities to extend their understanding. Predictable routines supported that work, making expectations familiar.
Forest School adds a distinct outdoor element. During both spring half-terms in 2026, Nursery and Reception were scheduled together on Thursday afternoons. The sessions ran from 13:15 to 15:15, so this particular opportunity sat within afternoon attendance. The Woodland, The Quad and The Apple Grove are the three Forest School zones, giving outdoor learning named spaces of its own.
Weather affects preparation rather than automatically stopping a session: outdoor activity continues through mud, rain and snow, with cancellation for thunderstorms or high winds. Long trousers, warm clothing and wellies or walking boots are required. Forest School leaders hold Level 3 qualifications and first-aid training with an outdoor component; adult numbers are set through risk assessment of the children, location and activities.
Before starting, families receive details of their child’s key person, an individual meeting date and invitations to introductory play sessions. These give parents a conversation with staff and children a chance to become familiar with the setting before their start date. The nursery team includes a teacher, a nursery nurse and a teaching assistant.
Lunch needs planning when extending a half-day place. Additional sessions that cross lunchtime include the lunch period, but families must supply a packed lunch. For questions about the day, parents can contact their child’s teacher or the school office.
Support for additional needs follows the school’s Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle. Parents with concerns about progress or SEND can contact the SENCO at botleysenco@botley.oxon.sch.uk. This provides a direct route into discussion of the child’s needs and support.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Oxfordshire County Council in the academic year their child turns four. The application window runs from the beginning of November to 15 January; applications beyond that window are treated as late.
Familiarisation comes separately from allocation. Once the council has offered a place, the school arranges an individual meeting, contacts the child’s current nursery or preschool and organises visits there. A transition morning and introductory play sessions allow children to meet staff and classmates and spend time in the Reception environment.
For the 15-hour entitlement, morning attendance is Monday to Friday, 8:40 to 11:40; the afternoon alternative is 12:20 to 15:20 on those days. The 30-hour pattern runs 8:40 to 15:20 Monday to Thursday, followed by 8:40 to 12:20 on Friday. Extra sessions can be purchased, including Friday afternoon. Contact the school for current charges.
Bookings cover the academic year, with one term’s notice needed for changes. Additional sessions must be requested in the preceding term and are allocated in request order; ad-hoc additions cannot be booked. That makes advance planning essential. Families using a 30-hour eligibility code must renew it every three months.
Send nursery applications to the school office. General enquiries go to office.2569@botley.oxon.sch.uk or 01865 248573, and prospective parents can contact the office to arrange a tour.
Children usually start in the term after their third birthday. Families can join the waiting list beforehand.
The school offers 15-hour morning or afternoon patterns, and a 30-hour pattern with longer days Monday to Thursday and a shorter Friday. Additional sessions can be purchased.
Families receive key-person details, an individual meeting date and introductory play-session dates before their child starts.
A packed lunch is required for additional sessions that include lunchtime.
No. You must apply separately through Oxfordshire County Council in the academic year your child turns four, by 15 January within the normal application window.
