Oakwood House Nursery and Forest School

Both of my boys have attended Oakwood from 11 months until pre-school room age. They both surprise us with the amazing stories they tell us about what they have been up to and the staff are all very invested in their learning and wellbeing. Our boys have made lasting connections with the staff, who nurture and support them throughout their time there. We picked the nursery mainly because it was big room sizes, with lots of opportunities for kids to make friends, and the large outdoor exploring area. The play they are allowed to explore in the woodland is amazing, and we're glad they get to explore and take risks in the outdoors. We would choose Oakwood house again.

With it being a forest school the emphasis on playing outside is imperative and now the weather is nice our daughter seems to have grown leaps and bounds in confidence outside. We've already got our baby son booked to start when I return to work. They have an app where you get regular updates on what the children are doing and regular photos through out the day. My child always comes home with paintings and drawings and clearly enjoys her days at nursery. She has a key worker again Cody who shows real enthusiasm with the children and I feel happy knowing my child is being monitored by her. We have regular catch ups to discuss my child and how she is being with Cody and the other children I'm so glad I found this nursery would recommend to everyone

Oakwood House has a wonderful nurturing environment for children from babies to pre school age, with incredible outdoor space. The forest school was the main reason we chose this nursery when our daughter started nursery in 2023 & now we have two children who attend & spending so much time outdoor is amazing for their resilience and development. The staff are wonderfully kind and caring and all build such amazing relationships with the children and parents alike. Management is very good - responsive & helpful.

The nursery team do an amazing job every single day. The range of indoor and outdoor activities available is excellent to help with my child's development, and the meals provided are healthy and of high quality. The team provide excellent care for my child and always provides detailed feedback for what my child did during the day, how mealtimes went, and what new behaviours or words my child has learnt. My child loves going to nursery, and I cannot praise the staff further - they are excellent.

The nursery children enthusiastically participated in the race activity, showcasing their boundless energy and infectious excitement. With their tiny legs moving in quick succession, they dashed towards the finish line, their smiles lighting up the entire space. Each child, regardless of their position, received an encouraging cheer and applause from their peers and teachers, fostering a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship. The race activity not only allowed the children to engage in physical exercise but also nurtured their social skills and boosted their self-confidence, creating cherished memories that will be treasured for years to come. Well organized event for children and families, we all had a good time.

Excellent nursery, great staff, grounds, lots of communication about what’s going on, healthy menu, lots of activities for the children and you are encouraged/invited to get involved. Completely trust the staff are taking great care of my little boy, who is 2.5 years old and has been attending since he was 9 months. He loves going to nursery and has always bonded well with all the staff.

My little boy has just started and although it’s a really tough process emotionally, the nursery has been great with updates and settling him. He is already getting a bond with his key person which is lovely. He’s enjoyed all his meals so far and loved the outdoor play.

I love that the children get to go outside and explore in the forest school.

I feel like the care the children receive is good, I appreciate that there have been a lot of staff changes but feel the overall care and wellbeing of the children is the priority. The focus on in-play learning and not pressuring them into activities is particularly good.

He comes home with stories of so many activities he has done in the day like cooking, singing etc. he loves the outdoors area too, the forest school is a great attribute to the nursery.

Improvements: I have noticed a lot of personnel changes recently which creates some uncertainty amongst parents. Also, the app is not always up to date with the day's events.

The nursery have had multiple changes in management recently and with a high staff turnover and staff movement between rooms my child has had lots of changes in key worker since he started which has been disappointing. Hopefully this will improve with new management.

The outdoor forest school was really good and my daughter enjoyed the weekly cooking club.

Our daughter joined Oakwood House aged nearly three, after we returned from two years abroad. She's naturally quite reserved, so we had concerns about her settling in, but the staff were nothing short of wonderful with her. What we have most appreciated about Oakwood is that every member of staff seems to care genuinely and deeply about every child in their care, and they are all seen and treated as individuals. The team are also great at managing her various allergies, and ensuring that she can join in with cooking activities and that her food is similar to what everyone else is eating. Our daughter has made some great friends and comes home every day with stories of forest school adventures, cooking club and crafts. We will be so sorry to leave Oakwood House.

We have loved every minute of our child being at Oakwood house. She has been here for 3 years and experienced the baby room up until pre-school. I cannot even begin to explain how much of a positive impact everyone at this nursery has had on my daughter’s development. It has the most homely feel and everyone starts to feel like family. The thing I love most about this nursery is the communication between my child and all the staff, including the office staff, chefs and key workers. Everyone makes the effort to get to know your child and develop positive relationships. I am confident that my daughter has been listened to, cared for and developed in the best way possible. She has had the strongest start to life ahead with this nursery playing a big part. Not to forget how brave and inquisitive forest school has made her. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey.

My son is leaving Oakwood in September to start school, and he has really enjoyed his time there (from babies, toddlers through to pre-school room). The staff are lovely - supportive/kind/professional and helpful, and my son has loved his key workers from each room. He thrives being outside in all weather, and learning from the natural environment. The nursery have also been very good with his food allergies, which has been very reassuring.

This is an amazing nursery! Would recommend 100%. My little boy goes 2 days a week and absolutely loves it! Staff are friendly and so lovely, it took my little boy hardly any time to settle at all after never being away from family before!

If you’re searching for a nursery who truly cares about your child I would highly recommend Oakwood House who have been fantastic throughout! Thank you!

Thanks for a wonderfu­l afternoo­n, to be part of this special leavers lunch was the perfect official way to end the Oakwood journey. The story and song were so perfectl­y relevant and definite­ly summed up my feelings about my son's time at Oakwood. I could not have wished for a better start for him than the brillian­t environm­ent you all create at Oakwood. My son has been nurtured in your care and has thrived. Choosing Oakwood and the forest school has been the best decision I could have made for my son. He’s so ready for school and that is down to the outstand­ing job you have done. He will miss nursery greatly.

A fantastic nursery and forest school! The staff are warm and encouraging and have definitely helped to build up my child’s confidence. As he leaves nursery to start school, I feel confident that Oakwood has provided him with a strong foundation that he will build on in his school years.