Eynsham Community Primary School Nursery Review

Paper plate mice, bread dough and a pretend doctor's surgery give Eynsham's nursery its character: children learn through things they can handle, make and talk about. Two age groups sit within the school's early years provision. Cygnets takes children aged 2 to 3; Ducklings is for ages 3 to 4. That distinction gives parents a clear picture of the provision their child would join.

Stories and practical activities connect the learning. In Cygnets, a new nursery rhyme is introduced every 1 to 2 weeks, with activities built around it. Activities linked to Hickory Dickory Dock have included examining clocks, building block grandfather clocks and making paper plate mice. Words become objects and actions, giving children several ways to explore the same idea.

Cooking adds another route into learning. Cygnets has introduced weekly cooking, including pouring and mixing. Ducklings children have made bread rolls, measuring ingredients before working the dough with their hands. Repeating patterns have been explored with sponges, paint and cubes. These examples make the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) tangible for parents: language, early mathematical ideas and physical skills develop through practical experiences.

The environment changes with the topic. Ducklings has used a doctor's role-play area alongside Zog and the Flying Doctors, while a Little City South Oxfordshire visit turned the sports hall into a pretend town with medical, building and mechanical roles. Outdoors, children have investigated ice and collected autumn leaves. Inside, a large tuff tray has held coloured rice for rangoli designs; chalk patterns extended the activity onto paving outside the classroom. Learning moves between materials, spaces and imaginative play.

Village experiences extend those topics. In February 2026, Ducklings walked to the local fire station, explored firefighting equipment, tried a hose and climbed into the fire engine. Back in class, making cheesy vegetable muffins involved measuring flour, cracking eggs, cutting vegetables and setting a timer. Children discussed hand hygiene too, connecting practical cooking with everyday habits as well as number work.

Before children start, families are invited to meet the team and visit together. That offers a chance to begin getting familiar with the setting. Cygnets has a room leader, deputy and early years practitioners; Ducklings has a nursery manager, deputy manager, practitioners and an early years teaching assistant.

Feelings have been explored through a Cygnets tuff-tray activity about starting nursery, with older children recalling their own experiences. Parents have also joined Ducklings for a stay-and-play session, sharing activities and seeing their child's classroom. Inclusion and assessment form part of the early years curriculum planning.

Lunch is prepared in the school's kitchen. Dolce supplies a rotating menu covering three weeks, with vegetarian choices and provision for medically required diets. For families managing food needs, those arrangements are a useful practical feature. Contact the school for current meal charges.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal primary admissions route; Oxfordshire County Council handles the application route signposted by the school. Treat that application as a separate step when planning your child's next year.

Shared experiences can help children become familiar with the wider early years setting. Some Ducklings children visited Robins or Kingfishers to hear stories during World Book Day. Such contact is useful familiarity, rather than an admissions entitlement.

Full-time places are offered using either 30-hour entitlement funding or 15 universal funded hours with payment for the additional time. The funding arrangement described for the older nursery group starts in the term following a child's third birthday. Eligibility matters; contact the school for current charges.

Owlets Club provides breakfast and after-school care for ages 2 to 4, extending the options around nursery attendance. Nursery session requests use a form covering Cygnets and Ducklings. Enquiries go to the school office on 01865 881294 or office.2209@eynsham.oxon.sch.uk. The school is on Beech Road in Eynsham.