Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford)

Julia Durbin is a wonderful nursery where our children are very happy. Our eldest has been through from caterpillars (baby room) to preschool, and we will all be very sad when she leaves. Her key worker at pre-school has done a fantastic job of growing her confidence prior to leaving. All of the staff know her very well, and actively encourage her interests; she comes home every day full of excitement and stories. Our youngest daughter started caterpillars in January and settled in very quickly. She has a lovely relationship with the staff there, especially her key worker, whom she adores. The atmosphere in caterpillars has been very nurturing and full of enthusiasm. We are moving abroad for a year in August but won't hesitate to bring our youngest back to Julia Durbin when we return.

Food is really good too.

Both of our children have been through the Julia Durbin Nursery. It provides a wonderfully stimulating, nurturing environment that helps them to learn whilst having fun. Despite the fact that in our family both parents work long days, this has not been a problem as the Julia Durbin nursery is able to offer breakfast through to evening meals, and big long sleeps in the day as needed, so children carry on in their usual home routine. We also value the fact that the nursery is 100% reliable and will always be open on non-bank holiday days.

We have stayed with Julia Durbin with the knowledge that our son is learning, being well cared for and ultimately is in safe hands - what more could we want. This is a credit to all the room staff, reception and the management.

We have two kids at Julia Durbin Day Nursery, and it is the most wonderful, caring and exciting place for them. The staff are incredible, the food is great and most importantly both of our boys genuinely love their time there. The back garden is a lovely space, full of interest. I only wish there was an 'exceptional' mark above 'excellent' that we could give the nursery.

Our daughter is in Ladybirds. The staff are friendly to parents and give regular updates about how children are progressing. The staff are amazing with the children. The daily activities engage our daughter and she has really developed in the room. Her language has improved and she is becoming independent due to the attention and encouragement provided by staff. The management provide strong leadership and are very welcoming to parents. The food is good and the staff handle allergies well.

My 3 and 1-year-old daughters go to Julia Durbin and both are very happy there. The staff are fantastic. They get lots of stimulation with all the amazing things that they do. It is so reassuring to know that they are being looked after so well whilst we are at work.

I have had two sons at this nursery. Both attended from 6 months old and the youngest is now in the Pre-School room. I am always impressed by the management of the nursery, the number of events organised and the attention to detail. In each room, there are caring staff who really get to know each child. We get good feed back on the child's day and there has always been a great variety of activities for the children. There regularly seem to be projects on the go, the children have lots of books and the Pre School children get to use an interactive whiteboard. The facilities are excellent and the children really benefit from one very large garden area and a separate, recently improved, area for the Pre School children. Additional efforts are made to get the older children ready for school and this has really helped. My youngest will move on in September and the nursery has been a great foundation. My two boys have been extremely happy at Julia Durbin.

My son has been at Julia Durbin since he was 10 months old. He's now 4 and attending the pre-school there. We are extremely happy with the care the nursery staff have given him. They have played a major role in his development and learning and I am confident that he feels safe and happy there. I am always impressed at how the staff respond to the children's personal interests and plan activities around those; they are generally very in tuned with each child's character and interests. I would definitely recommend this nursery to others.

Julia Durbin provides exceptional day care. The staff are caring and warm towards the children, and the nursery are really supportive to the parents. Facilities in the rooms are good. There is a variety of extracurricular events such as fetes and pre-school graduation too which is a great for the children, and for the parents to be involved in your child's time at the nursery. The management team are approachable and very helpful, and there is always a friendly welcome each day. My boys have been very happy here.

I cannot recommend this nursery enough with its outstanding environment but above all with the excellent dedicated care conscious staff that make this nursery excel.

Since my little one started last year, she has grown a lot at this nursery. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The large garden for the little ones to play in, is wonderful and a major reason we decided on this nursery.

My son went to Julia Durbin since he was a year old and progressed through the room until nearly three.

He was very happy here and formed strong bonds with other children and with his key workers. He loves being active and running around the big garden at Julia Durbin which was a huge plus. Knowling he was happy and well-cared for made it much easier for me to return to work.

We have felt lucky to have access to such a wonderful nursery.

This is a great nursery and my children love it. They have a brilliant outdoor area, they engage the children in different activities. The staff are welcoming and friendly. I am very happy with all aspects of the nursery and I feel it is an excellent place to help the kids grow and develop.

Amazing for children. I definitely would recommend to anyone.

Our son has enjoyed his time at Julia Durbin. The staff are caring and attentive. They have been able to cater for his changing needs over the years. It has given him a great start to school life.

My daughter has attended Julia Durbin Day Nursery for over 3 years & I have to say the nursery has been exceptional. She has developed so well and has learnt so much to help prepare her for when she starts school. The staff are friendly, helpful & have shown on numerous occasions great support to each child.

Both of my children have attended Julia Durbin since aged 8 months and my 2nd child is just leaving to start school. From the beginning, I have felt very confident and comfortable leaving my children in the care of the staff at the nursery. The staff convey a genuine interest and care for each child and have dealt very well with the occasional difficult times, like when my son struggled with the change when moving up a room - the staff know how to deal with the parents as well as the children! I like the emphasis on outdoor play. Communication from staff to parents is great, with a daily written report for the younger ones and a weekly memo for the whole nursery. Importantly this also adapts in response to feedback from parents. The admin processes are efficient and well organised. No hesitation at all in recommending the nursery.

The nursery is well-organised and well-resourced - it's in a purpose-built building and is part of a bigger network of nurseries. The staff seem well-motivated and positive (and ChildBase is well-regarded as an employer).

The response to an incident where a child tail-gated other parents into the car-park illustrated a good approach to security: parents were immediately informed of what had happened, and an extra fence/gate was in place within half a week.