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Nursery at Oakfields Preparatory 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
An orchard, a mud kitchen and classrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows give Oakfields’ Early Years Village its character. This is the school’s own nursery in Upminster, with space for play to move between indoors and outdoors. The nursery age band is 2½ to 4; entry to the younger class begins in the term a child turns three.
The village sits within the school’s seven-acre site. In June 2025, ISI recorded two nursery classes. These are school-based early years, with growing independence and familiarity with school routines running alongside play.
Free-flow play connects the classrooms with an enclosed playground, outdoor learning space and adjoining orchard. The mud kitchen adds another place for practical exploration. Children have access to the wider grounds too, so outdoor learning extends beyond the nursery playground.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning to communicate, manage feelings and develop physical skills with early mathematics, literacy, creative expression and understanding the world. Oakfields combines these areas across indoor and outdoor activities rather than treating each as an isolated subject. One-to-one teaching forms part of the nursery provision, with activities matched to individual needs.
At the June 2025 inspection, early years teaching developed children’s independence and confidence through resources suited to their interests, adult questions and role play. Pretend transactions used Oyster cards, tills and play money, giving children concrete ways to explore everyday exchanges. Choosing reading books through a vote also introduced shared decision-making. Conversation has a practical purpose here: children explain ideas, listen to others and practise different social roles through stories and imaginary play.
Music starts from age three, using songs and actions linked to nursery learning. Swimming begins in the nursery summer term, taught by specialists in the school’s heated indoor pool. These add different kinds of movement and participation to the day.
Settling is planned around familiarity. In June 2025, transitions between home and school, and between classes, helped children get comfortable with their surroundings. Early years staff had training in safeguarding, SEND, food hygiene and first aid for young children. The nursery also records Millie’s Mark and paediatric first aid training for every member of the early years team.
Emotional support has everyday routines. Nursery children felt secure in June 2025, with daily checks on feelings and stories that helped them understand emotions and other people’s perspectives. Zones of Regulation is used across classrooms to help children recognise and manage feelings. Nursery teachers and assistants work within a structure that includes early years safeguarding leads and a SENDCo.
Lunch is included in full-time fees and in the morning nursery session. Thomas Franks prepares school meals on site; daily choices include vegetarian food, a salad bar and bread made in-house. For children attending wraparound care, breakfast or an afternoon light tea and snacks are included in that session’s charge.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families should confirm Reception continuation or application requirements and timing with the school. Offers depend on space and the school’s entry requirements when the offer is made; nursery attendance should not be treated as an assurance of admission.
Preparation for that move is a different question. Older nursery classes move to attendance across five days, building familiarity with school routines. Carefully organised changes between classes supported settling in June 2025. That continuity helps children approach their next classroom with familiar habits, while admission remains a separate decision.
Arrival for early years is at 08:40, followed by registration at 08:45; the teaching day runs from 08:55 to 15:00. The 2026–2027 fee schedule lists either five full days, Monday to Friday, or three full days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Younger nursery classes also describe a two-day option. Agree the attendance pattern when booking.
Breakfast Club runs from 07:30 to 08:15. Nursery after-school care can finish at 16:30 or 17:45 and carries an additional charge. Fees are billed by term, with monthly payment possible through School Fee Plan. Children aged between two and four may qualify for a Nursery Education Grant; ask the school for current charges and how the grant applies.
Nursery pupils wear school uniform, supplied through Oz Schoolwear. Families can use the enquiry page to contact admissions and book a personal tour. A Stay and Play or taster session usually lasts an hour and includes a brief informal assessment by early years staff, allowing the child to try the setting before an offer.
The younger nursery class accepts children from the term in which they turn three. The nursery’s stated age band is 2½ to 4.
The Early Years Village has an enclosed playground, an outdoor learning area, an adjoining orchard and a mud kitchen, with access to the school grounds.
Lunch is included in full-time fees and the morning nursery session. School lunches are prepared on site by Thomas Franks, with a vegetarian option each day.
Yes. Nursery after-school care starts at 15:00, with options ending at 16:30 or 17:45, for an additional charge.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Confirm Reception continuation or application requirements and timing with the school; offers are subject to availability and the school’s admissions requirements.
