A very warm welcome to The Co-operative Childcare.

Here you will find lots of general information that should be useful in getting a feel for the setting, however every child is individual and you will undoubtedly have lots of questions that relate specifically to your child’s needs, interests and their development. A tour of our quality facilities would be highly recommended in order to fully appreciate how the nursery operates and to see first hand the care and attention that each child receives. To arrange a tour, simply use the contact details on this page or pop in to the nursery itself.

At The Co-operative Childcare we never underestimate how difficult a decision it is to leave your child in the care of others and our aim is to ensure that you have all the information you need to make this very important decision.



“The children's progress is underpinned by the setting's partnership with parents. In addition, the setting understands the importance of wider partnerships with other providers or professionals to support children's ongoing learning and development. Children play in very well organised and spacious accommodation. It is attractively maintained and interesting to children, with many displays of their work. Children are able to access resources and take part in activities that generally promote their all round learning and development. Staff are skilful as they interact with children, as they both facilitate free play with appropriate interventions or take a more direct lead when required to do so. This allows children to have freedom and to enjoy what they do, and it usually enhances their learning and understanding. The setting promotes inclusion at all times as all children are considered to be unique individuals with the capacity to build on what they can already do. Experienced and well trained staff enable children to understand about their diverse world and to ensure that individual needs are met. Children with additional learning needs are supported effectively by the setting.”

Latest Inspection Date 10/03/2011. To view the full report click here


Our nursery team at Oxford are friendly, approachable, energetic and have a range of skills, knowledge and experiences that ensure we provide the best possible care and enjoyable learning for our children. The dedicated and loyal team of 26 colleagues work together to ensure our children have the best start in life. The majority of the team who work directly with our children hold a recognised qualification and the remaining colleagues are working towards obtaining their qualifications. Two members of the team hold a BA Honors degree in Early Years and an additional three colleagues are currently working towards completing their degrees. Our Nursery Manager Amy has also worked in childcare for 10 years and is currently completing her foundation Degree in Early Years.


The soon to be refurbished nursery is a stimulating, safe and secure environment for your child and we pride ourselves on our warm and welcoming atmosphere.

We have four spacious rooms which enable us to care for our children according to their age and ability. Within our single storey building each room has direct access to the outdoor environment which allows the staff to offer free flow between indoors and outdoors.


The nursery has a garden area with space for the children to explore and move around freely. In addition to our main garden, we have a smaller more secluded area, which is used by our under 2 year olds. Both garden areas have beautiful views of the local canals which attract wildlife such as birds and ducks. The children also enjoy spending time train spotting due to the nurseries proximity to the railway station.

Oxford station is a three minute walk away and we are conveniently located to the city centre, university and Cherwell College.

There is a free car park available for dropping off and collecting children. We also have an onsite push chair shed to store personal buggies whilst some parents commute to work.


There are many activities in addition to the core learning and play that takes place at the nursery and supports the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework. These activities are planned in advance and very often with parent participation. Our ethos is very much on a child centred approach as all our activities are planned around each child’s individual needs, interests and abilities. In addition to focused activities, children are offered freedom of choice throughout the nursery. Yoga classes have recently been introduced for our over 2 year olds and have proven to be a great success. Our onsite chef also spends time within the room assisting the nursery team with cooking activities and educating our children about healthy eating.


We offer a comprehensive package and provide all nappies, milk and food (breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, tea, and evening snack). Our experienced chef prepares a home cooked lunch every day using fresh produce sourced from local suppliers. This supports our ethics and values of being a co-operative and gives the children the nutrition they need to ensure they grow healthily whilst in our care. We also cater for all dietary requirements, allergies and cultural foods and our food is freshly made on a daily basis. Children always have access to fresh drinking water. The nursery team also support and offer guidance to parents who are starting the weaning process.


Each day parents receive detailed feedback about their child’s day which includes verbal feedback and daily information sheets. There are regular parent evenings which provide a great opportunity for our parents to gain detailed knowledge about their child’s development and progress at the nursery. An annual survey enables parents to share their views and suggestions about the service they receive and our parents are actively encouraged to make suggestions and share information about their child to ensure we achieve a partnership approach.


“Our well established nursery has a friendly, loyal team who are dedicated and passionate about childcare. In our single storey building we make good effective use of the space available to ensure we create a fun and a busy environment which our children enjoy. The nursery has a warm and welcoming atmosphere and provides exciting and educational activities that are individually planned for each child. We also work closely with our parents to ensure that each child enjoys their nursery experience and develops to their full potential through our partnership approach”