URN 2803377 · Inspected 2026-06-11 · Published 2026-10-05 · Inspector: Lisa Robinson Hayley Marshall-Gowen
Culham Science Centre Nursery and Preschool Unique reference number (URN): 2803377 Address: Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, OX14 3GY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/08/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Oxfordshire Nurseries Limited Inspection report: 11 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. Strong standard Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Children behave incredibly well. Staff model positive attitudes and behaviours towards each other and children. This helps children to know and understand the expectations for their behaviour. Children engage and focus in purposeful and meaningful play. They collaborate, share ideas and learn to share and take turns. Staff are quick to respond to any minor disagreements between children. They help them to resolve these and play alongside each other. Children build respectful relationships with staff and their friends. They show care and kindness towards each other and like to help each other in their play. Children show great care for each other. They like to help their friends to find favourite toys and activities. Children receive praise and encouragement, which supports their personal, social and emotional development. This helps them to engage and focus in their play and learning. Relationships between staff and children are built on trust and respect. Children have deep bonds with those caring for them. Staff engage in children's play and learning. They show a keen interest and support conversations between children and adults. Staff model respectful communication and take turns to listen and speak. Children consistently develop positive attitudes to their behaviour and learning. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Children are happy, confident and settled at nursery. Leaders and staff place a high priority on children's wellbeing and welfare. This supports children's development of independence and confidence while at nursery. When children or young babies become unsettled, staff are close by to offer comfort and reassurance. This helps children to develop and show a secure sense of belonging. Staff know children extremely well. They use what they know to support and engage children in activities that interest them. This helps children to develop excellent emotional security in the nursery. Children thrive on healthy snacks and meals prepared by the nursery. They learn about healthy eating and making choices. There are highly effective care plans in place to meet children's individual dietary needs. Through these plans, children learn about their own needs and those of their friends. Staff offer children lots of praise and encouragement. This helps children to build high levels of self-esteem. Staff are caring and attentive towards children. This helps children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills. Children are kind and courteous to their friends and the adults who care for them. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff have highly effective procedures to support the early identification of any gaps in children's learning or barriers that affect their ability to access and engage in their Expected standard learning and development. The key-person system is effective in helping staff to learn about the children in their care. Through gathering early information and children's starting points, key persons focus on building trusting and nurturing relationships that support children to develop close bonds. This helps staff understand and support the varying and individual needs, ages and stages of development of the children in their care. Staff are acutely aware of any emerging gaps in children's learning. They ensure they complete detailed observations and assessments. Staff calmly and consistently use strategies that are known to work well for children. For example, they use 'Now and Next boards' to help children know what to expect and when, which has a positive impact on children's behaviour and engagement in activities. Leaders and staff work closely and in collaboration with parents and carers and agencies to support children's learning and development. They ensure that any additional funding is used effectively to provide staff with relevant training to remove any barriers to children's learning. In addition, resources are used effectively to support children to make progress from their starting points. Achievement Expected standard Children generally make steady progress from their starting points. They develop their skills and knowledge across all areas of the early years foundation stage. Children develop a wide range of skills as they engage and focus on their chosen play. They show increasing confidence and independence. Children are keen to show what they know and can do and make positive choices in their play. They particularly enjoy exploring early literacy skills. This supports their communication and language development. Children are confident in communicating their needs and interests. Children manage their personal care needs well. They secure their skills in dressing and undressing themselves and show pride in their achievements. Children are becoming increasingly confident in their physical skills. They develop their gross motor skills through learning to stand, balance, walk and run. Additionally, children develop their fine motor skills as they learn to use their fingers to pick up, roll and manipulate a range of resources. For example, babies are beginning to pick up and handle objects. Older children are exploring textures and materials to develop their skills in creating patterns in cornflour or rolling dough to make 'worms'. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard The curriculum is generally well designed and provides a broad range of learning opportunities across all areas of the early years foundation stage. Overall, staff understand the importance of sequenced learning to build on and support children's next steps. However, small inconsistencies in teaching mean that, at times, staff do not encourage children to further develop their skills. This can lead to children losing interest and moving on to another activity. For example, although staff support children's communication and language development through sharing stories and introducing new vocabulary, this practice does not consistently translate across to other linked activities to extend children's vocabulary further. Staff use observation and assessment well to support all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face barriers to their learning. Through their interactions and encouragement, they help all children to access a curriculum that meets their individual needs. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills, inside and outside. A well- resourced and thoughtfully planned provision encourages children to engage and explore at a pace and in an environment that meets their individual needs. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. They have a clear plan to bring about ongoing improvement, particularly in the quality of teaching to support and extend children's learning and development. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have effective oversight of the nursery. They are effective role models in delivering high standards of care and education. Leaders recognise their strengths and areas for improvement. They have effective plans in place to have oversight of the quality of teaching. Through peer observations and modelling practice, they endeavour to achieve continuous improvement. Staff feel valued and well supported. They enjoy their work and have a range of opportunities for continuous professional development. Leaders are aware of the workload and the pressure that can arise. They ensure that staff receive the time and coaching they need to be successful in their roles. However, leaders' approach to staff training is not sufficiently focused. This does not consistently benefit staff to develop consistent teaching that enables children to build on what they already know and develop their skills further. Leaders and staff build effective and positive partnerships with parents and carers and other professionals. This ensures that children's needs are met, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face barriers to their learning. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children show excitement as they arrive at nursery. Staff warmly welcome children and their parents and carers. They show a keen interest in children's lives beyond nursery. Staff engage children in conversations about their home lives and how their morning has been. Children quickly engage in the many inviting activities and resources available to them. Young babies receive cuddles and comfort in readiness to make choices of where they want to play. Older children are keen to engage with activities, focus on their chosen play and find their friends. This builds a sense of safety and security for children. They are happy, settled and confident. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from many opportunities to build on and develop their physical skills both indoors and outdoors. They develop their independence as they try to put on their own rain suit and boots ready to play in the rain. Staff are close by to offer encouragement and assistance when needed. Children develop their communication and language skills. Through planned activities, such as reading and talking about favourite stories, children begin to learn new vocabulary. They are keen to explore descriptive words to extend their thoughts about the stories they hear. Children are curious and highly encouraged to explore and discover their skills and learning through many activities. For example, children develop their hand muscles and coordination as they manipulate and explore textures. They describe their textures and how they are making patterns and models of 'worms'. Next steps Leaders should further embed the curriculum so that it enhances and encourages children's development and fully supports their next steps in learning. Leaders should enhance staff training and coaching to build on and develop staff's skills in providing consistent and high-quality interactions. About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead, parents and carers and children 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 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. Inspectors: Lisa Robinson Hayley Marshall-Gowen About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2803377 Address: Culham Science Centre Abingdon OX14 3GY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 19/08/2024 Registered person: Oxfordshire Nurseries Limited Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 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 11 June 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 144 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. 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