Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford)

I was quite nervous about sending her to nursery at first, but seeing how happy she is there and how much she loves it has completely reassured me. Thank you so much to everyone at Julia Durbin for taking such wonderful care of my girl - we're so grateful

We are having a good experience so far. The staff is very friendly and approachable. When we go to work, we feel that our son is in good hands. He loves staying at the nursery with so many activities going on every day.

Our daughter absolutely loves her time at nursery and has thrived since joining the Bumblebees room. The staff are excellent - warm, professional, and dedicated to the children's wellbeing and development. Her key worker has been especially caring and attentive, and we've been really impressed with the thoughtful focus on learning through play.

There are a wide variety of fun and stimulating activities, both indoors and out. The outside space is fantastic - with a sandpit, play park area, large garden, and more - it's clear the children enjoy lots of fresh air and exploration.

The nursery hours are very convenient for working families, and the food is great too - varied, healthy, and prepared by a friendly chef team who are open to parent input. One small suggestion would be to add a bit more variety to the breakfast options.

Overall, we're very happy with the care and experience our daughter is receiving - a lovely, nurturing environment that she looks forward to every day.

We have had a great experience with Julia Durbin Day Nursery. My daughter always has a great time and has developed so much both emotionally and intellectually. She has made some lovely friends and is developing her social skills becoming a confident individual gaining her independence. The food offered is healthy and balanced which my daughter really enjoys and the outdoor space is lovely for outdoor play and exercise.

Our daughter joined Ladybirds 1 at Julia Durbin Nursery in October, and we couldn't be happier. From the start, the team welcomed her with such warmth, helping her settle gently and feel secure. Though she spoke very little before, she now says the name of every staff member and talks about them often at home. On weekends, she says their names as if she misses them and wants to go back - a true sign of the bonds she's built. We've seen a lot of progress in her language development, along with growing confidence, independence, and curiosity. The environment is calm, nurturing, and full of thoughtful, engaging activities. The regular updates keep us connected and show just how well the team knows and supports each child. We are so grateful to the wonderful Ladybirds 1 staff - your care, patience, and kindness are making a truly meaningful difference in our daughter's early years. Thank you for everything you do!

We really like this nursery and our son is very happy there.

I was really nervous when dropping off my child for the first settling in session. It has only been a couple of months, but already she reaches for her key person the moment we arrive at nursery in the morning. We really appreciate how caring the staff are, and how they are willing to communicate with us at pick-up and drop-offs. Importantly, we are also really impressed with the food. Everything is homemade, and they do not use sugar. Puddings are always fruit- and vegetable-based. Overall, we have been really impressed with the nursery!

Another thing worth praising are the meals. The meals are all made in house by a chef who takes a lot of care to make sure there is a variety of nutritious meals.

My son has been in the pre-school room for the past 9 months, and the growth in his social and intellectual skills has been incredible. Every day offers something new-whether it's art, gardening, Forest School, or cooking. The team celebrates diversity through cultural events and activities, and there's a strong focus on experiential learning: from fire engine and dentist visits to music lessons and even learning Spanish. The staff are truly caring and dedicated, and it's clear they put a lot of thought into creating a nurturing, stimulating environment.

Highly recommend this nursery!

We are sorry to leave this nursery.

I cannot sing the praises of Julia Durbin Day Nursery enough. They have looked after two of our sons: one from age about 18 months until the end of pre-school, and the other aged from 10 months to 30 months. We are now moving away from the area and it is with a heavy heart indeed that we will be saying goodbye to all the exceptional staff. They have been incredibly attentive and caring, and really do their absolute best by the children and parents. They take a deep interest in the children's interests, and any concerns or problems are dealt with immediately, effectively, and compassionately. It has also been very helpful to know that our children have had a high quality diet while at Julia Durbin - to be honest they have been fed better (in terms of healthiness and variety of food) than we generally manage at home. I strongly recommend this nursery to anyone in Oxford.

We couldn't have been happier with the care our daughter had whilst at Julia Durbin Day Nursery. In addition to the lovely environment and excellently run day, we were so impressed by and grateful for the affection, warmth and care our daughter was shown by the staff she came into contact with. From her key workers in each room, to her room leaders and staff more generally around the nursery, everyone was so friendly and kind, and that made a real difference to us as her parents! So thank you Julia Durbin and we're sorry to be leaving!

It is a very professional, safe and clean operation. We never have any worries about our daughter when she's at the nursery because we know she's being looked after so well.

This nursery has been great for my son. I am very happy with the care they have provided. The focus on learning and education gives this nursery an added boost in compassion to others. The facilities are outstanding and the staff go above and beyond their duties. I highly recommend the nursery.

It gave me peace of mind knowing that each day my children were being well looked after and they were enjoying themselves. I would recommend them to anyone looking for childcare in Oxford.

There is a great outside space, one of the largest we've seen in an early years setting. The children are encouraged to help themselves to their own meals and there are lots of fun-filled activities to keep them engaged. The staff members know the children well and are able to cater to their different personalities. They have also been very supportive when I was in hospital where the children attended extra days and did last-minute swaps where they could.

Our daughter has been at Julia Durbin since she was one year old and is leaving this summer to start school. She has learned so much, not only getting a good start with letters and numbers but arguably more importantly how to 'use her words' when she's upset, and what to do when there's playground tension. She has developed a lovely sense of trust and security around grown-ups (albeit quite high expectations of our knowledge and behaviour!). She has particularly benefitted from all the time outside in the garden and she loves all the creative activities. The staff really go above and beyond, displaying incredible patience, and they're always inventing fun new activities for the children.

I'm really happy with Julia Durbin Day Nursery in Oxford. The staff are excellent at keeping parents informed with regular updates and photos, which is very reassuring. They are highly trained and genuinely care about the kids, creating a warm and nurturing environment. The nursery itself is well-equipped with great facilities both indoors and outdoors, offering a variety of activities that keep the children engaged and happy. I think JD is a fantastic place for early years nursing and education.

We moved our daughter from another Oxford nursery to Julia Durbin Day Nursery in February 2023. She started in the Ladybird room and we saw the changes immediately! She was properly looked after by professionals and we had feedback and pictures every step of the way. I finally felt reassured. The amount of feedback and pictures on the app were drastically reduced when she moved to the Bumblebees room but still we got verbal reports at the end of the day. She is always happy to go to nursery and she is engaged in many activities throughout the day. We are very sorry to be leaving, we will miss the nursery in general and the staff in particular. Thank you for all your hard work with the children!