The Old Station Nursery, Bampton

The Old Station Nursery, Bampton
Unique reference number (URN): EY555154
Address: Bowling Green Close, Bampton, Oxfordshire, OX18 2NJ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 07/12/2017
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: The Old Station Nursery Limited
Inspection report: 2 June 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children make steady progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge and
skills they need for their future learning. Children benefit from a learning environment that
allows them to make choices and engage at their own level. They build their communication
and language through songs, books, conversations and play. Children join in confidently
with group activities, form positive relationships and show growing resilience as they explore
and learn. For example, older children talk enthusiastically about their experiences of
nighttime, sharing when they have seen 'owls' and 'stars'.
Children are becoming more confident and more socially aware as they explore activities,
independently make their own choices and build positive relationships with others. Older
children follow routines well. They proudly dress and undress themselves for dressing-up
activities. Younger children feed themselves and manage familiar routines with confidence.
Children are happy and engaged and show growing curiosity during imaginative play,
sensory experiences and outdoor physical play.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children show they feel safe, secure and confident as they play and explore throughout the
day. Leaders and staff have created a calm, nurturing and inclusive environment. Their
expectations are clear and routines are well established. Children demonstrate a positive
attitude to learning. They listen well, follow instructions and take part in activities with
interest and persistence. Leaders work closely with families to promote regular attendance.
This helps children to settle well, build confidence and prepare for their next stage of
learning.
Children build warm and trusting relationships with staff and with one another. Staff in the
rooms for older children help children to recognise and manage their awareness of the
behaviour that is expected. This supports their self-esteem and sense of belonging.
However, staff do not consistently help younger children to understand why certain
behaviours are not wanted. At times, staff redirect children's behaviour without explaining
the reasons behind expectations. This means younger children do not consistently learn
how their actions affect others.
Staff provide activities that help children to learn about the world and develop a sense of
community through meaningful experiences with the wider world. For example, older
children learn about real foods in their play and use these to pretend to make broccoli and
cheese soup. Younger children enjoy learning about the topic 'people who help them'. They
play with fire engines, ambulances and police cars alongside pictures of local fire stations
and doctors. Staff use these experiences to help children to recognise familiar roles in their
community and understand how different people help keep them safe.

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children are happy and settled. They show they feel emotionally secure in this warm and
nurturing nursery environment. Children have built close attachments with their key person
and other familiar adults. This helps them to confidently seek comfort and support when they
need it. Staff know children and their families well. They work closely with parents and
carers to meet their children's individual welfare and wellbeing needs.
Staff generally support children to learn about healthy lifestyles and physical wellbeing.
Children enjoy a range of freshly prepared, balanced and nutritious meals. Staff maximise
opportunities during mealtimes to teach children about healthy eating, where food comes
from and the importance of brushing their teeth. Children of all ages enjoy fresh air and
exercise through daily outdoor play. Children access many activities that help them to
develop coordination and confidence for physical development as they play outdoors. Older
children develop skills to help them manage safety and risk. For example, they are included
in helping complete risk assessments in the garden before going out to play. Children's
independence is promoted well throughout the setting. Older children manage routines
confidently.
Children show that they feel safe and secure in the setting. Staff support them sensitively
during moves to the next room, helping them to build confidence and independence over
time. Overall, hygiene practices are maintained well, and the majority of staff follow the
nursery's procedures effectively. Occasionally, some staff do not follow these practices as
consistently as expected. For example, some staff forget to wash their hands after wiping
children's noses before helping at mealtimes. Some staff do not cool children's food in an
appropriate way or ensure that they hold the appropriate parts of feeding bottles. This
means that not all staff ensure that they follow the highest standards of hygiene expected by
leaders.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders and staff share a clear vision for what they want children to learn and experience.
The curriculum is broad, well planned and based on children's interests. This helps children
to build the knowledge and skills they need across all areas of learning. Staff understand
what they want children to know and be able to do. They plan activities that support
children's communication, confidence, independence and wellbeing. The learning
environment is set up so children can explore a wide range of activities, including creative
play, mark making, sand and water. Staff support children's imaginative play and early
mathematical learning well during activities. Children take part in small-group times that help
them feel part of the nursery community and build positive relationships with others. For
example, children sing the welcome song to learn the names of their peers.
Overall, teaching across the nursery is positive, and many staff interact well with children.
Staff generally extend children's thinking through effective questioning. They typically
introduce new vocabulary as they offer a narrative to children's play and read many stories.
Staff know their key children well and use their knowledge to support their progress.
However, at times, some teaching is not consistent. Some staff focus more on supervising
children than purposeful interaction. This means learning opportunities are sometimes

missed. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is inclusive, and staff provide the right levels of
support so all children can access learning and make progress.
Inclusion Expected standard
Children learn in an environment where everyone is welcomed. Staff value and support
children's individual needs, backgrounds and wellbeing. They know children and their
families well. Staff understand their roles in identifying and reducing any barriers to
children's learning at the earliest stage. Leaders work closely with parents and carers and,
when needed, professionals such as speech and language therapists. This ensures that
support is in place as soon as it is required. Leaders and staff understand their
responsibilities to support all children, including those who are disadvantaged or those with
special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Leaders have an effective understanding of how to use early years funding appropriately.
They allocate it carefully to close gaps in children's learning and to strengthen their
progress. Leaders use funding to purchase high-quality and targeted resources that reflect
children's interests and support specific areas of development. For example, children who
enjoy animals now have an animal-themed lotto game that was bought especially to support
their learning and interests. This helps them to generally engage in more focused activities
that build on their next steps to build relationships, take turns and develop early
mathematical skills in a fun way.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders demonstrate that they are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all
children and families feel welcomed, valued and supported. They have an accurate
understanding of what the setting does well and what practices need to be sharpened
further. Leaders are taking clear steps to improve the quality of provision and are giving staff
consistent support. All staff receive coaching, peer observations and targeted training to
help build their knowledge and skills. These approaches are starting to make a positive
difference. However, leaders know that teaching and interactions are not yet consistently
high across the setting. They recognise some staff still need further support.
Leaders support staff wellbeing successfully. Staff comment that they feel valued through
training opportunities and regular meetings and check-ins. Leaders monitor staff suitability
carefully. Following a recent notification to Ofsted, the leadership team has strengthened
whistleblowing and associated referral procedures to ensure that these processes are more
rigorous and transparent.
Leaders have established robust and trusting relationships with parents and carers, who
speak highly of the setting. Parents consistently praise the support their children receive.
They report that staff play a significant role in helping their children develop, achieve and
feel confident. Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of their responsibility to work
effectively with other professionals involved in children's care. They engage in purposeful
information-sharing to ensure that children's learning and development are supported
consistently, while supporting their individual needs.

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are happy and confident at the nursery. They receive a warm welcome from
leaders and staff, who know them well. Children benefit from a learning environment that is
attractively set up and ready. They access inviting activities that support children's interests
and cover areas of learning. Overall, staff engage well with children and support their
learning effectively throughout the day. Staff know children well and understand their
individual needs. They work closely with parents and carers and recognise the importance
of positive partnerships with other professionals when required. This ensures that any

children who may face barriers to learning or with special educational needs and/or
disabilities receive timely and appropriate support as required. As a result, children make
steady progress from their starting points.
Children are enthusiastic learners who confidently explore their environment. Younger
children enjoy singing sessions. They explore different media and materials, such as
bubbles, during outdoor play. Pre-school children take part in imaginative role play, using
real vegetables and herbs as they pretend to cook. These experiences help them to make
sense of real-life situations and develop positive social skills.
Children benefit from their communication and language development being promoted well.
They enjoy listening to stories, recalling familiar tales and watching props being used to
bring narratives to life. Children follow staff's lead when threading beads or exploring soil
and water. This helps children to develop new vocabulary and their understanding through
hands-on experiences. Staff interactions, overall, support children's growing confidence and
language skills. Children receive effective support for their physical development. Older
children climb the steps of the climbing frame, balance on boards and play games, such as
catching balls with staff. This helps them to build coordination and strength.
Children are cared for with warmth and consistency. They feel safe and form positive
relationships. Children are often heard giggling together during imaginative play, such as
pretending to be ducks or dogs chasing balls. Activities such as these provide a positive
experience for children, helping them achieve well and gain the skills they need for future
learning.
Next steps
Leaders should support staff to maintain a more consistent approach for the younger
children to help build on their understanding of how to manage their feelings and
behaviours.
Leaders should support staff to consistently follow and teach robust hygiene practices to
promote children's health and help them to manage their personal care needs.
Leaders should strengthen opportunities for reflective practice to enhance staff expertise
and embed continuous improvement, while also sharpening their focus on the teaching of
the curriculum to ensure consistently high-quality interactions that extend children's
thinking and learning.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children, parents and carers and the designated
safeguarding lead during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The

Inspector:
Tracy Bartholomew
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY555154
Address:
Bowling Green Close
Bampton
Oxfordshire
OX18 2NJ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 07/12/2017
Registered person: The Old Station Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Oxfordshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 2 June 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.
We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we
received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information
about this.

0 to 4
Total number of places
38
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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