St Nicholas' Primary and Nursery School: Nursery Review

Stories give Bluebell Class a way to talk about the big feelings that come with starting nursery. This is the nursery at St Nicholas' Primary and Nursery School on Raymund Road in Old Marston, Oxford, where rising 3s can begin their school journey.

Early years provision was graded Good at the Ofsted inspection on 26 and 27 September 2023. That judgement covers the school's early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Bluebell follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the framework covering children's care, development and learning up to age 5. For parents, the important distinction is that care and learning belong together within this phase of education.

Adult-led literacy uses Talk4Writing. In the first autumn term of 2025, the core book was Owl Babies, a story about young owls waiting for their mother to return. The nursery chose it to help children think about separation from their parents. Storytelling therefore has an emotional purpose alongside its place in literacy: a fictional situation gives children something concrete through which to consider their own feelings.

In September 2023, nursery children heard stories connected with their learning, helping to build an early interest in books. Across early years, children showed consideration for one another and worked together successfully. Adult guidance helped children understand what was expected of them in everyday nursery life.

The wider school grounds include a forest school, a large field and four playgrounds. These are school facilities; their scale gives useful context to the nursery's setting. Rising 3s also have access to extracurricular activities from the start, including clubs focused on sport and art.

A class teacher leads Bluebell Nursery, and the school's staff team includes an EYFS teaching assistant. In September 2023, positive relationships in early years helped children remain motivated when learning became challenging. The combination of adult examples and predictable routines supported their participation.

Support across the school includes a nurture team, with a sensory garden, a wellbeing room and a sensory room. The school works with families and outside professionals to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Parents can direct questions about their child's needs to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

Family involvement includes Stay and Learns, where parents join their child's learning, as well as weekly coffee mornings. These offer opportunities to take part in school life.

School lunch arrangements allow a packed lunch or food cooked on site. Cooked meals are ordered ahead through Scopay, and both groups eat in the main hall. Packed lunches must exclude nuts, and grapes should be halved or cut smaller.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. Oxfordshire County Council coordinates admissions to the school, so choosing Bluebell should remain a decision about nursery provision rather than an assurance of a later school place.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01865 242838 or email admin.2352@stnicholasprimaryschool.org.uk. Visits can be arranged through the office, giving families an opportunity to see the setting before deciding.

The office opens from 8:30am to 4:00pm. The address is Raymund Road, Old Marston, Oxford, OX3 0PJ.