What does Ofsted say about us?
All nurseries in the England are regulated by Ofsted and most will receive a visit from an inspector every 4 years. The inspector will spend a day within a setting reviewing the procedures and watching the staff as they care for the children.
Nurseries are very special places for the children who attend, and it must be very hard for inspectors to fully do justice to any setting. We have always been delighted with the wonderful thing our inspectors have chosen to say about our nurseries.
Below you will find the summary sections of our latest reports and links to the full documents.
Farmoor (between Cumnor and Farmoor)
– Ofsted rating (2013) – Outstanding
– Ofsted rating (2019) – Good
– Ofsted rating (2025) – Good
Eynsham (between Eynsham and Church Hanborough)
– Ofsted rating (2013) – Outstanding
– Ofsted rating (2022) – Good
Bletchingdon (between Kidlington and Bicester)
– Ofsted rating (2018) – Good
– Ofsted rating (2024) – Good
Farmoor Setting Summary
The inspector found that “Children love attending this welcoming, nurturing and calm setting.” This is a testament to our wonderful staff who have “worked hard to develop and maintain strong, secure relationships with children and their families.” We are so pleased that the report acknowledges how quickly children settle and the strong bonds they form with our team, seeking them out for play and cuddles.
The report highlighted many areas of strength, including:
- A Rich Learning Environment: “Children benefit from a wide range of activities and really flourish from the wealth of outdoor learning opportunities.” The inspector noted how staff use children’s interests to plan fun experiences, from painting and sand play for younger children to puddle splashing, dinosaur hunts, and obstacle negotiation for older children.
- Mathematical Development: We are delighted that our efforts to “teach children to use mathematical language well and to be confident in counting and recognising shapes” were recognised, including learning terms like ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’.
- Inclusive Practice: “Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the setting and are valued by their peers.” Our work with external agencies to support children with SEND was also commended.
- Confident Communicators: The report states, “Overall, children are becoming confident communicators as they engage in conversations with their friends and staff,” and that they “show a love of books and enjoy familiar stories.”
- Strong Leadership and Staff Support: Ofsted found that “Leaders are highly reflective of the quality of the care and education provided” and that “Staff’s well-being is given high priority.” This supportive environment allows our team to “create an ambitious curriculum that supports children’s curiosity, independence and understanding of the world,” leading to children making “good progress in their learning and development.”
- Excellent Care for Babies: Our dedicated baby space and garden were praised, with the inspector noting that “Babies enjoy stimulating activities and staff support them well.”
- Healthy Habits and Independence: The report acknowledges that “Children benefit from healthy snacks and meals” and that “Staff use mealtimes to help develop children’s independence skills.”
- Strong Parental Partnerships: We are so grateful for your feedback, which contributed to Ofsted noting that “Staff have developed strong partnerships with parents. Parents are delighted with the care their children receive and appreciate how much time children spend outside.”
Bletchingdon Setting Summary
Staff show genuine interest in the children and their families and form strong bonds with them.
Experienced staff create a calm, cosy and homely environment that children adore.
Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum for all children. This is based on the secure knowledge of children’s current skills and interests and takes account of what they want children to learn next.
Children become deeply engaged in their play … and demonstrate an eagerness to explore and learn more.
Staff reflect a positive and respectful culture and have high expectations for children’s behaviour.
Children demonstrate very good levels of self-confidence and self-esteem and behave impeccably well.
Children display exceptionally positive and mature behaviours.
They are motivated to explore and play extremely well together.
Staff sensitively support and promote children’s emotional security, resilience, independence and development. Children thrive in their nurturing environment. They build very strong emotional bonds with their key person.
Eynsham Setting Summary
The provision is good Children delight in being in this welcoming, safe and well-resourced environment. They are greeted by enthusiastic and caring staff as they arrive at the setting.
Staff set high expectations and are good role models.
As a result, children are polite and behave well.
Since the onset of COVID-19, staff have placed a sharp emphasis on supporting children to manage their feeling and emotions.
For example, children are able to identify and describe feelings, such as happy, shy and angry. This is contributing towards their increased self-control and confidence.
All children show a love of books. They smile with delight as staff read them their favourite stories.
Staff’s enthusiasm and use of intonation really capture their attention and develop their listening skills. Children benefit from a language-rich environment that builds on their communication skills.
Younger children begin to link words together. Older children speak in complex sentences and recall prior learning. They use words in the right context, such as ‘lava’ and ‘overflow’.
Children benefit from a curriculum that is carefully considered and well planned, overall. The manager clearly identifies what she wants children to learn as they move through the nursery.
Staff benefit from regular supervision and support to develop their knowledge and skills.
Children are happy and engage confidently with staff, who know them well. They have formed strong attachments with their key person. This helps children to feel safe and secure.
Children are provided with healthy meals and snacks. Mealtimes are social occasions and children’s independence is supported well by staff. Children pour their own water and scrape their plates when they have finished their lunch.
Relationships with parents are strong. Parents praise the staff team for the care that their children receive.
The manager and senior leadership team place a high priority on the well-being of staff. As a result, staff feel valued and enjoy working at the nursery.
