URN 134013 · Inspected 2026-01-15 · Published 2026-03-04 · Inspector: Hayley Marshall-Gowen Tracy Bartholomew
Julia Durbin Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 134013 Address: Old Road, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 15/11/1994 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Childbase Partnership Limited Inspection report: 15 January 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 Achievement Strong standard Children are exceptionally well prepared for moving rooms within the nursery. Staff's deep knowledge of what support children need means that this is managed extremely well for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who experience barriers to their learning. Children's voracious appetite for learning means that they absorb information at a pace. Children's independence is fostered from the beginning. By the time they reach the pre-school, children are so adept at taking responsibility, staff assign them special roles. There are drinks monitors, safety spies who help keep the nursery free from trip hazards and helpers who clear away at lunchtime. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard The respectful, kind and caring environment at the nursery stimulates children to become considerate and well-adjusted individuals. Before any care routine, staff tell children what will happen. Staff model a calm, and sensitive approach that encourages children to feel safe and secure. Staff recognise some behaviours are age expected, such as biting. Their rapid intervention and effective methods of diverting this impulse helps to address the matter quickly. Children's behaviour is consistently positive. Staff recognise that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities might need extra support, comfort and reassurance and this is readily given to them. By working closely with families, staff encourage children's regular attendance and this contributes towards children's positive attitudes towards their learning. Staff ensure they follow babies' own routines. They beneficially provide families with guidance and support around safe care practices, to help them ensure children are safely supported when they sleep and eat. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard The high-quality curriculum is fully inclusive and expertly adapted to stimulate children's development. The focus on developing children's communication and language begins in the baby rooms. Staff repeat babies' babbling back to them. In the toddler rooms, staff introduce single words. As children get older, staff focus on putting single words together. In the pre-school room, they have developed the confidence, range of vocabulary and strong desire to engage in meaningful conversation with staff. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, young children and those who speak English as an additional language, learn sign language as staff teach different ways of communicating. Leaders and staff make consistent and extensive plans to ensure that all children receive tailored experiences that enable them to make rapid progress. Staff know children extremely well and focus on the things that interest them to deliver experiences that ignite children's passion for learning. Outdoors, younger children explore different weathers, jumping in puddles and becoming fascinated with frost and ice. Older children take this interest further. They learn about hurricanes and staff teach them about what might happen to the people who experience adverse weather around the world. This broadens their understanding and careful, well managed use of technology further brings this learning to life. Mathematical learning is threaded through activities that children enjoy. Inclusion Strong standard Staff are acutely aware of the barriers some children face in their education. They have been successful in ensuring that all children are making swift progress in their development. Staff quickly identify when children's learning does not make expected progress. They undertake audits of the environment to monitor noise levels and consider how well it contributes towards children's learning. The curriculum is fully inclusive and systematically builds on children's learning. Leaders' work with families and other professionals enables them to develop their well-timed and extensive plans of support for children. These plans give staff specific direction on how to support children and their impact is evident as children make huge gains in their development. Staff appreciate children's personal social and emotional development needs fostering to prepare them for all their further learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who experience disadvantage, positively flourish in the expert care at the nursery. Support for children who speak English as an additional language is especially effective. The multiple ways staff foster children's communication means that children quickly find differing ways to communicate. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders are astutely reflective and receptive to change. They make comprehensive evaluations of all aspects of the nursery and identify any areas where improvement can be made. Staff retention at the nursery is a real strength. The provider invests in staff professional development, with all staff having clear routes to enhance their knowledge and skills and being motivated to take on additional responsibilities. The provider equally promotes staff's wellbeing and staff thoroughly enjoy their work. Their commitment to their roles is impressive and contributes towards the high quality of the nursery. All decisions taken are in the best of interest of children and the provision for children who experience disadvantage or have special educational needs and/or disabilities is commendable. Relationships with families are highly productive and parents are truly valued as partners in children's care and education. This inspection was prioritised following the provider notifying Ofsted of a significant event, where medication had not been administered to a child correctly. During the inspection, leaders demonstrated the extensive action taken to reduce the likelihood of another such incident occurring. Expected standard Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard There are ample opportunities for children to connect their movements to their emotions and feelings, for example during yoga sessions. Staff teach children to name different emotions and feelings For example, they read stories and children recognise different facial expressions and the emotions they relate to. Staff talk to children about things children are scared of, such as spiders, and give them suggestions for how they can overcome their anxieties. When staff plan activities to support children's understanding of healthy eating and physical exercise, they do not always ensure that the activities match their intended purpose for what children will learn. Therefore, although children enjoy these, they do not deepen their awareness of leading healthy lifestyles. Children form very close relationships with the staff who care for them. Staff give children confidence, and they enjoy activities that encourage manageable risks, such as climbing and balancing on equipment. When completing these activities and when being given responsibilities, children show immense pride. This helps to promote their high self-esteem. Children follow care routines that successfully promote their growth and development. Sleep times are managed well and mealtimes are social, safe occasions. 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 All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make significant progress from their individual starting points. They demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning and a real excitement and enthusiasm to learn and find out more. Older children are developing all the essential skills they need for moving on to school. For example, they are interested and curious about reading, writing and working successfully with their peers. Babies follow a flexible routine that enables them to gain excellent physical skills. Staff significantly build on what they know and can do. For example, babies begin by developing confidence in moving, crawling and standing and then as children's coordination and balance improves they move across equipment. Finally, the oldest children at the nursery become tenacious climbers, who enjoy spending time climbing into the tree house and using tools and equipment with a great degree of skills. Parents are actively involved in all aspects of their children's learning and this is highly beneficial for children's progress. Staff encourage children's attendance and by doing so, children experience consistent and layered learning that enables them to thrive. Staff's excellent teaching engages children. Staff play children music from a clarinet and children respond to the music they hear, running around to theme of the music played. Staff tease the opening few bars of music, children know what the song is, jump up and do an accompanying action. In this activity, they learn about written music, are exposed to the pleasure of listening to musical instruments and move their bodies in an expressive and rhythmic manner. This gives them an enormous amount of pleasure. Activities are well planned, intriguing and designed to capture children's imagination. Inspectors: Hayley Marshall-Gowen Tracy Bartholomew About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 134013 Address: Old Road, Roosevelt Drive Headington Oxford OX3 7JU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 15/11/1994 Registered person: Childbase Partnership Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:30 Next steps The provider should build on the solid foundations for increasing children's understanding of ways they can develop their physical health during daily activities. About this 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. The inspectors spoke with children, staff, parents, the special educational needs coordinator, quality manager and nominated individual during the inspection. 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. 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 15 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 164 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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