Pegasus School Nursery Review

Stories, conversation and an on-site Forest School give Pegasus nursery its character. The provision has two age groups: 2 by 2 for two-year-olds and Carle Family for children aged three and four. Both belong to Pegasus School in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, giving families a school-based start with learning organised around their child's stage of development.

Ofsted judged early years provision Good at the inspection on 13 and 14 March 2023. That judgement covers the school's early years provision. It is not a separate nursery rating.

Play is the starting point. Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the youngest children concentrate on movement, communication and managing feelings and relationships. Literacy, mathematics, creative expression and exploring the world become more prominent as children progress. The emphasis is on practical experiences and conversation with adults.

Books have a physical home here: each early years class has a reading area, alongside a lending library that links home and nursery. Stories support discussion about children's lives and the world around them. Read Write Inc supplies the phonics approach, with informal introductions to individual letter sounds in the nursery's summer term. This gives early reading a place in the day while keeping its nursery introduction informal.

Power Maths and Mastering Number support mathematics. Music has its own named programme, The Voices Foundation Inside Music, with nursery children exploring body sounds and different ways of using their voices. Head, shoulders, knees and toes is one song example; clapping and stamping provide another way to participate.

Learning extends outdoors throughout the year. Indoor and outdoor spaces are arranged for each class's developmental stage, and Forest School sessions take place in an area on the school site, led by a Forest School leader. Outdoor learning begins with 2 by 2, so it belongs to the youngest children's experience too.

There is a curriculum caution. In March 2023, some early years learning lacked sufficiently precise teaching content and checks on understanding, limiting what children achieved. Families should weigh the practical, play-based offer alongside that finding.

Relationships with families are a stated priority for the nursery. Staff work with parents and, where appropriate, health visitors, paediatric professionals and other services to support individual development. An EYFS special educational needs coordinator provides a specific point of contact for concerns about learning or additional needs.

Tapestry records children's learning against Development Matters assessment criteria and enables parents to contribute to assessment. That creates a connection between learning at nursery and what families notice at home. For a fuller discussion about learning or well-being, parents can arrange a class-teacher appointment through the office.

The full-day nursery arrangement includes lunch and childcare provision with an additional charge. Families should contact the school for current charges when planning their child's day.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal route: Oxfordshire County Council handles Reception admissions, while the school deals directly with nursery and 2 by 2 enquiries.

Transitions between early years classes are supported by staff, with information shared with families at the appropriate stage. This concerns the child's move between classes; it should be kept separate from the application for a school place.

The 15-hour nursery provision has a morning session from 8:30am to 11:30am or an afternoon session from noon to 3pm. The 30-hour arrangement runs from 8:30am to 3pm. For 2 by 2, the same morning and afternoon times apply. These are distinct attendance patterns, so the session choice matters when arranging collection and family routines.

Contact the main office directly for nursery enquiries. The telephone number is 01865 777 175 and the email address is office@pegasusprimary.org. School tours can also be booked by email, giving families an opportunity to see Pegasus before applying.