Oaklands Nursery School

Overview

Oaklands Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school, providing a nurturing environment where children thrive. Leaders have created a unique curriculum that effectively weaves children’s interests with defined learning, supported by a partnership with the Societas Trust. The report highlights that staff impart knowledge gently and playfully, ensuring all children, including those with special educational needs, achieve exceptionally well.

Strengths

• Children are warmly welcomed and settle quickly, showing increasing independence and collaborating in a "kind and mature way".
• Staff are "exceptionally skilled" at identifying individual needs and providing successful support, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The curriculum is deliberate and purposeful, with staff using "carefully chosen texts and rhymes" to deepen learning and extend children’s love of story.
• Children develop into "thoughtful thinkers" who confidently share ideas, respect boundaries, and understand that others may hold different opinions.
• Parents describe the nursery as "a special place where staff impart knowledge gently and playfully and children thrive".

Areas to improve

The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders holding the safety of children "front and centre" through robust pre-employment checks, thorough staff training, and strong keyworker relationships that help children feel secure.