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Polstead Preschool

Ofsted: Good
(Mar 2023)
·
4.3(49 parent reviews) ·St. Margaret's Institute, 30 Polstead Road, OXFORD, OX2 6TN · Oxfordshire
Number of places
24 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Mar 2023
Local authority
Oxfordshire

About this day nursery

Polstead Preschool, nestled in North Oxford, is a nurturing, play-based setting for children aged 2 to 5. The preschool is committed to providing an inclusive environment where each child's unique curiosity is ignited and their individuality is celebrated.

The educational approach is rooted in global best practices, with the curriculum overseen by educators holding a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from UCL (Institute of Education) and an Early Years Lead Practitioner (Level 5) qualification. The staff are dedicated to creating a safe and homely atmosphere where children feel secure, valued, and inspired, regardless of whether they are learning English for the first time or are already fluent.

Polstead Preschool emphasises a strong connection with parents through secure digital journals like Tapestry, sharing photos, milestones, and daily updates to keep families informed about their child's progress and activities. The preschool aims to make its services accessible to all sections of the local community, operating an open, fair, and clearly communicated admissions policy, and welcoming all carers, fathers, and mothers, along with other relatives and childminders, while being flexible with attendance patterns to suit individual needs.

Fees are payable termly in advance, and a half-term notice is required for withdrawal to avoid additional charges.

Our ethos

Polstead Preschool is a play-based setting that is committed to fostering a child's curiosity and celebrating their individuality within an inclusive environment with a curriculum overseen by highly qualified educators. They connect with parents through digital journals and aim to be accessible to the local community.

What it's like

Children and parents are warmly welcomed by staff, ensuring a positive flow of information. This helps children feel safe, secure, and settle quickly into play. Children are keen to learn, engaging in interesting adult-led activities and showing eagerness to learn concepts of weight and measurement.

Play-based learningInclusive environmentExperienced educatorsStrong parent communicationCommunity-focused admissions

Pricing & funding

Fees are billed termly in advance. A registration fee and a deposit are required to secure a child's place, with the deposit deducted from the first invoice. Standard hourly or session rates are not specified in the provided text.

Good to know

  • Non-refundable registration fee required.
  • Deposit required when a place is offered, deducted from the first bill.
  • Fees are payable termly in advance.
  • Half a term's notice is required to leave the playgroup.

Key facts

Opening hours

weekdays between 9am and 3pm

Age range

2 to 5 years

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Established

1992

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Polstead Preschool

Last inspected 3 March 2023

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children and parents are warmly welcomed by staff, ensuring a positive flow of information. This helps children feel safe, secure, and settle quickly into play. Children are keen to learn, engaging in interesting adult-led activities and showing eagerness to learn concepts of weight and measurement.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are enthusiastic and engage in a range of interesting adult-led activities.
  • Staff embrace cultural diversity and plan activities to help children learn about different cultures and how people live in other countries.
  • Partnerships with parents are highly positive; parents feel their children make good progress and are safe and happy.
  • All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in their speech development.
  • Children behave well; they understand the importance of sharing and being kind to their friends.

Areas to develop

  • 1review the organisation of the environment and activities to ensure that children are consistently engaged in rich learning opportunities during child-led play
  • 2enhance staff practice to ensure that all children experience high-quality interactions in order to extend their learning and help them to fully benefit from the intended learning.
Inspection #10279653 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

"children make good progress in their learning under the care of a kind and welcoming staff team."

"Parents feel well informed about their child's development, and that their children are safe and happy."

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

Outdoor space

There are ample opportunities for children to be physically active. They strengthen their leg and arm muscles as they climb apparatus and relish time set aside to practise riding bicycles.

Parent Reviews of Polstead Preschool

4.3
(49)
유이나 Inna Yoo
4 months ago

My daughter has attended Polstead Preschool when she was 2-3 years old. All the teachers are professinal and very kind and my daughter has enjoyed going to this preschool. She also made lots of friends here and still says that she wants to go to Polstead Preschool. The teachers know and care about each child and it is a very safe, trustworthy and homely environement. I recommended Polstead Preschool to my friends who have children and they are surprised at how cheap the costs are in comparison with othet nurseries. Thanks to this preschool, our stay in Oxford was wonderful

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Nureen Jina
a year ago

An absolutely wonderful nursery! The staff are incredibly kind, caring, and attentive. From the very beginning, they made my son feel comfortable, valued, and truly happy. He absolutely adored his teachers and would look forward to going every single morning. Thank you for creating such a warm and nurturing environment, and for giving him beautiful memories that we will always cherish.

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Sarah Jones
3 years ago

My son attended Polstead preschool for 7 months from January 2022. We had moved him from another nursery, in part because he had not been happy there, but immediately when he started at Polstead his confidence grew and we noticed him changing in a really positive way. I believe a large part of this was the caring and respectful way in which he was treated by the staff. They were always extremely kind and engaging with him, and I felt totally comfortable leaving him there each day. He was so keen to get inside and join in with the other children and would talk about his experiences when he got home. I would not hesitate to recommend Polstead preschool to any other parents who are considering where to send their little ones.

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Hannah
10 months ago

The most awful pre school I’ve ever come across! My son started there and was extremely unhappy 😔 you do not expect that from such a young child. Every time I collected him he was pushed into a corner of the room in his pushchair! I was not paying them to leave him in a corner. Many parents left there as I did as I had enough! Klara is the most unprofessional person I’ve ever met! She shouldn’t be allowed to work with children not remotely interested one bit! They only seem to be interested in you and your child if you go full time and spend more money! Was told to buy certain things my child needed for there and when I came to leave they had chucked my belongings away! Please please stay away from this pre school it’s not worth your hard earned money!!!!!!

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Kasia Górka
a year ago

We are very happy with the service provided by the Polstead Preschool when our two daughters attended the nursery for two months in 2024. Despite not knowing the language, they were welcomed and taken care of in a way that made them really enjoy their time there. They both picked up some English words, and the older one even learnt to ride a bike! The staff was always friendly and kind to the girls and to us.

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Reviews from Google for Polstead Preschool. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: June 2011

  • March 2023Good
  • November 2018Good
  • March 2015Good
  • June 2011Good

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more