Our Rooms & Curriculum | Oxford Day Nursery | The Oxford Nursery
Oxford Day Nursery
Our NURSERY Rooms & Curriculum
Family run nurseries in Summertown and Eynsham where we are passionate about creating fun and caring learning experiences for children aged 0 to 5 years.
Freshers (0-2 years)
Each nursery setting is registered individually for 0-2 year olds (Freshers) and numbers are site relevant depending on room size and Ofsted approval. We care for the children within a ratio of 1:3 and operate a Key Person system of care where each baby is allocated their own carer on arrival. This system is also set within a team of Key Workers based in each room. The carer works closely with parents at all times and will seek to cater for all individual needs.
Where the key person is absent a nominated ‘Buddy Carer’ will step in to care for the children offering maximum continuity of care.
Our Freshers follow the Early Years Foundation Stage ‘Every Child Matters’ Curriculum (EYFS) of activities (0-5yrs) based around these areas of development:
PRIME AREAS:
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
SPECIFIC AREAS:
Mathematics
Understanding of the World
Expressive Art and Design
Literacy
In addition, we follow the four themes of the EYFS which express important Principles underpinning effective practice which are A Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and Development. We refer to characteristics of effective learning as outlined by the revised EYFS September 2012. As part of the day our Freshers enjoy a wide variety of experiences including messy play, tactile texture play, treasure baskets (Heuristic Play), water play, colour discovery play and sensory play to name just a few.
Our Freshers have access to an outdoor play area and will on occasion have walks around the local areas which are thoroughly risk assessed, staffed appropriately, and deemed ultimately safe.
Sophomores (2-3 years)
Our ‘Rising 2’s remain in a ratio of 1:3 but have opportunities to explore a more structured curriculum of activities than previously experienced in their Fresher room. When two years old the children are grouped in a ratio of 1:4. The activities are extended to further develop the experiences the children have had as a Fresher.
The children have opportunities to work individually and in small friendship groups. Opportunities are extended for the children to enjoy music, dance and movement, story and singing sessions, painting and messy play. This age group is offered opportunities to build on skills already learnt and develop new skills. Outdoor play activities and discovery feature more extensively in this age group regardless of the weather and planned activities help to promote both fine and gross motor skills. Cooking, sand and dough craft activities are incorporated into the plans and the foundations to good behaviour are laid whereby children are offered suitable choices and opportunities for decision making about their own behaviour.
In addition we now have a legal obligation to carry out 2 year old assessments in order to highlight any early signs of developmental delay. These assessments are overseen by our most qualified staff and are performed twice yearly when we update our child profile summaries.
Scholars Pre-School (3-5 years)
Our youngest children in this room remain in a ratio of 1:4 and are differentiated and grouped by age and friendship until they are 3 years old.
Once the children are 3 years old they are grouped in a *1:8 ratio and follow differentiated activities relating to The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. Where we have an Early Years Professional on the staff we are permitted to group our 3yrs+ in a ratio of 1:13 but currently enhance our ratios in this age group by maintaining our 1:8 ratio to facilitate greater support to our pre-school children.
EYFS
Our staff offer a rich and varied range of languages to our children and enjoy sharing and supporting a multicultural environment through festival sharing, dance and song to name a few. The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum for our Scholars 3yrs+ is more structured and offers learning opportunities in theses 7 areas:
PRIME AREAS:
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
SPECIFIC AREAS:
Mathematics
Understanding of the World
Expressive Art and Design
Literacy
Our Scholars enjoy greater independence and have free access to the outdoor play area, enabling decision making and choices about their play activities. This age group also enjoy walks around the local area.
The Scholar’s room is set up to offer various areas of learning which include many or all of these themes throughout the year:
‘The Learning Lab’ area where we have a computer and an Information book library.
A Design Technology area where children may help themselves to a range of equipment and materials to create and design with.
A Reading area providing an extensive range of books including fiction, poetry, Information and Big Books.
A well equipped maths area where children can explore shape, pattern making measures and number through a variety of equipment.
Carpeted area with free choice activities including construction kits (Lego, mega blocks, clics and stickle bricks etc), puzzles, dice games, card games, small world activities (Play people, Dinosaurs, vehicles, play animals)
A themed area for imaginative play to reflect and reinforce the current topic e.g. A Supermarket, A Veterinary Surgery, An Autumn Wood, A Rainforest, A Pirate Ship.
Home Corners to reflect domestic and familiar activities such as kitchen play (tea set, play food, cash tills), Work bench and tools, The Hair Salon.
Well resourced writing/office area where children have opportunities to write for a variety of purposes and ‘post’ their letters.
Exciting art areas where children may create works of art by helping themselves to a range of paint types and implements. Children have opportunities for printing, clay work and observational drawing and a range of exploration with many different materials.
A discovery table where children may investigate a variety of new and interesting items e.g. an Indian corn, inside of a clock, an opened pomegranate, bug bottles, plants etc.
Our staff work hard to support children with English as their second language and have experience of Russian, Polish, German, Urdu, French, Spanish and Mandarin to name but a few.
Where appropriate we have visitors to enhance our topic themes e.g. Fire Officers, Police, Opticians and visitors from Ethnic groups for cultural experiences. We enjoy regular ‘Parents as teachers’ weeks and always welcome our families in to share all that they do.
Our Scholars have opportunities for both child initiated and adult initiated activities incorporating time for in and outdoor play and story times weather permitting.
Physical Development activities are planned for in general by the staff but each setting also benefits from an additional, appropriately qualified sports coach to Co-ordinate this curriculum area. As part of our physical development activities we also include a musical approach called ‘Sticky Kids’.
Even ‘Tidy up time’ is planned for with our ‘Wombling Time’. Children hear the Wombling theme tune and instantly know that it is time to tidy up.
Physical Development activities have been extensively developed over the last 3 years where we have launched an active approach to learning called ‘Kiddie Keep Fit’. Long term, Medium Term and Short Term plans are available for all to see.
‘The Learning Lab’ area where we have a computer and an Information book library.
A Design Technology area where children may help themselves to a range of equipment and materials to create and design with.
A well equipped maths area where children can explore shape, pattern making measures and number through a variety of equipment.
A Reading area providing an extensive range of books including fiction, poetry, Information and Big Books.
Carpeted area with free choice activities including construction kits (Lego, mega blocks, clics and stickle bricks etc), puzzles, dice games, card games, small world activities (Play people, Dinosaurs, vehicles, play animals)
A themed area for imaginative play to reflect and reinforce the current topic e.g. A Supermarket, A Veterinary Surgery, An Autumn Wood, A Rainforest, A Pirate Ship.
Well resourced writing/office area where children have opportunities to write for a variety of purposes and ‘post’ their letters.
Home Corners to reflect domestic and familiar activities such as kitchen play (tea set, play food, cash tills), Work bench and tools, The Hair Salon.
Exciting art areas where children may create works of art by helping themselves to a range of paint types and implements. Children have opportunities for printing, clay work and observational drawing and a range of exploration with many different materials.
A discovery table where children may investigate a variety of new and interesting items e.g. an Indian corn, inside of a clock, an opened pomegranate, bug bottles, plants etc.
Where appropriate we have visitors to enhance our topic themes e.g. Fire Officers, Police, Opticians and visitors from Ethnic groups for cultural experiences. We enjoy regular ‘Parents as teachers’ weeks and always welcome our families in to share all that they do.
Our staff work hard to support children with English as their second language and have experience of Russian, Polish, German, Urdu, French, Spanish and Mandarin to name but a few.
Physical Development activities are planned for in general by the staff but each setting also benefits from an additional, appropriately qualified sports coach to Co-ordinate this curriculum area. As part of our physical development activities we also include a musical approach called ‘Sticky Kids’.
Our Scholars have opportunities for both child initiated and adult initiated activities incorporating time for in and outdoor play and story times weather permitting.
Physical Development activities have been extensively developed over the last 3 years where we have launched an active approach to learning called ‘Kiddie Keep Fit’. Long term, Medium Term and Short Term plans are available for all to see.
Even ‘Tidy up time’ is planned for with our ‘Wombling Time’. Children hear the Wombling theme tune and instantly know that it is time to tidy up.
real PE foundations is an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) programme aimed at children aged 3-5 years, that uses the prime area of physical development as the driver for children’s learning.
- Aligns to the EYFS framework including the Prime Areas and Characteristics of Learning and Areas of Learning Experience in the Curriculum for Wales.
- Unrivalled, flexible and interactive programme.
- Provides a menu of stimulating, thematic and visual resources to support your planning and delivery.
- Engages children and brings the themes to life in your setting.
- Flexible and intuitive to enable more child led activities and support in the moment planning.
- Supports the development of positive behaviours and nurtures a positive relationship with physical activity.
The Pre-School Seat of Learning
Our nurseries are family run with warmth, knowledge and empathy. Within that mix we deliver a big dose of enthusiasm to create meaningful and fun learning experiences.
We are passionate about caring for the needs of children and second only to safety our primary concern is to create an environment to nurture the best start in life. We have a dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable team of staff at both our sites.
