Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford)

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.

When we moved cities we moved our child to Julia Durban from another nursery. We had been happy with our previous nursery, but Julia Durban exceeded all expectations. Our child immediately settled in and has been incredibly happy there ever since. They are developing very well and are very secure and happy at nursery, they are always excited to go in the mornings and hard to tear away at the end of the day! What stands out for us the most is how genuinely fond of each of the children the staff seem to be. They know all the kids and their individual needs and are very caring and attentive. The food also stands out as a particular strength. I feel very welcomed as a parent and enjoy all the events and initiatives the nursery runs. The management, facilities etc all seem good as well, we have no complaints about anything. The only thing I miss about our old nursery is that they would take the children daily to the local park for access to nature, which doesn't happen here.

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!

Julia Durbin has so many enriching activities for the children, both indoors and outdoors, and I can tell my son enjoys going to nursery. He also loves the food and seems to be constantly having seconds! The teachers provide a lot of updates and it is very much appreciated.

Our son has been there for nearly 2 years, has gone through 4 classes, and the quality has been consistently top-notch. The staff are all caring and engaged, we get great updates on what the kids have been up to, the menu is varied, the activities are fun and different so we hear all about it at the end of each day. Would recommend to any parent.

My son has developed his social, emotional and educational needs very much with the help of the staff. They are very friendly and caring to all the kids and the parents. I have always felt confident that they will look after his needs during his stay there. They provide timely updates through the app as well as during pickup. Excellent indoor and outdoor space for play and the activities are well planned according to the children's needs. I highly recommend the nursery to other parents.

Overall great nursery, kids clearly love it and are well looked after. Staff give it their all. Good communication with the parents and attentive to any specific needs and requirements. Can be good value for money for staff members of Oxford University Hospital or the University.

Such a caring and engaging environment in both groups our son has been so far. The staff members are all very kind and patient and our little one loves spending his time there from the very first day, which is amazing. We definitely think that we chose the best nursery in the area.

My daughter can be quite clingy and set in her ways but they've all been so patient with her and gradually I've seen the positive changes. I wish I brought her to Julia Durbin earlier than I did and I'll happily recommend Julia Durbin to everyone. A trial will convince you!

Great experience with Julia Durbin so far. The nursery staff are all very attentive and friendly, and I have taken a lot of confidence from their interactions with our baby (11 months). Very well equipped in terms of necessities for the children, and excellent provision of play.