Windale Primary School Nursery Review

Play and conversation give Windale’s nursery its shape. Children choose activities and adults help develop their ideas. At the September 2022 inspection, shared snacks also brought everyday social learning into the nursery day.

Windale Primary School has nursery provision on its Oxford site for two-year-olds and children aged three and four. Children can start in the term following their second or third birthday, depending on the provision. Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 21 and 22 September 2022; that judgement covers early years within the school.

Choice takes up much of the day. Children select tasks themselves, alongside planned teaching and group activities led by adults. The balance matters: children have time to pursue an interest, while adults introduce particular knowledge and skills rather than leaving learning entirely to chance.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach centres on play. In parent terms, this means developing early number skills, language and literacy through practical activity, with opportunities to investigate, make decisions and solve problems. Children can revisit something they have already tried and practise at their own pace. Windale says children’s interests help shape these experiences.

Adults participate in that play through observation, demonstration and prompts that extend what children are doing. Their responses help turn an activity into a conversation or a new piece of understanding. Planned group teaching sits alongside this work, giving children another way to encounter a skill before using it independently.

In September 2022, children were developing emotionally and socially alongside their academic learning. Shared snacks provided a concrete example: sitting at a table together made eating an opportunity to learn about being with others. Consistent routines also began in Nursery, giving the day a predictable framework.

Support for additional needs sits within the school’s graduated SEND approach, which identifies needs and builds support in stages. The SENCo role is held by the deputy headteacher. Families can arrange a discussion through the school office, providing a route into the wider support team.

At the September 2022 inspection, snack time also served a social purpose. Children sat together at a table to eat snacks, learning the routines of shared mealtimes.

For children who need medication during the day, a completed request form is required. Medication must go to the office team in its original packaging. These steps give families a concrete procedure to follow when care involves medicine.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the later school application as two decisions: attending now does not secure the next place.

For three- and four-year-olds, morning sessions run from 8:30 to 11:30, while afternoons run from 12:15 to 15:15. The 30-hour funded pattern runs from 8:30 to 14:30. An extended option finishes at 15:15, with the additional 45 minutes charged separately. Contact the school for current charges.

Children can take 15 funded hours through morning or afternoon sessions; eligible families can access 30 funded hours. A funding code must be applied for by the end of the month before the new term begins to access that term’s funding. Two-year-old sessions run from 8:30 to 11:30, with funded places subject to eligibility.

Applications use the nursery registration form. For an Early Years tour or an enquiry, email office@windale.org.uk. The office can also be reached on 01865777796.