Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford)

Old Road, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JU
Review Us
9.9 215 Reviews
  • Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford), Oxford
Julia Durbin Day Nursery is located within the grounds of Churchill Hospital and caters for children both in the local community and the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Trust.

Homely surroundings and a thoroughly resourced facility allows the nursery's highly trained practitioners to achieve high standards of early years education across the age ranges.

Parent partnerships are promoted and developed whilst long opening hours and a fully inclusive package offer a convenient service to busy families.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Emma Wallbridge (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 54

Total Places for Children

  • 164

Age Range

  • from 0 years 2 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:00-18:30
    Tuesday 07:00-18:30
    Wednesday 07:00-18:30
    Thursday 07:00-18:30
    Friday 07:00-18:30

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Inset Days

Parking

  • Free parking is available onsite.

Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) Reviews (215)

9.9

Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.927) out of 10, based on 46 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) has 215 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford)
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Total of 215, showing 61-80
Review from R B (Mother of Child) published on 16 January 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both our children feel secure and happy at Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford).
The nursery is very well run and organised.
Communication is excellent, staff among themselves, with parents, and with the children.
Many staff have much experience and many qualifications, others are trainees, others somewhere
in between - all seem great.
Staff say they are happy there, turnover is relatively low.
Rooms are well-resourced, light and airy, the garden space is really special and well utilised.
There are lots of exciting activities for the older children in particular.
Staff members seem to have a good bond with each individual child and take a genuine interest in them.
The nursery are excellent at dealing with allergies.
They go the extra mile by helping us prepare our older child for school, providing libraries etc.
I am so pleased our children are at Julia Durbin, I would definitely recommend the nursery to other families.
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Review from Claire S (Mother of Child) published on 16 January 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter loves going to Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) and has really come out of her shell since she started. The transition of her starting nursery has been so much easier than I expected and all to do with how well I know she is cared for there. She loves her food and always seems to get a
great variety! There is clearly also a lot of effort that goes into the activities they do each day.
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Review from J T (Father of Child) published on 16 January 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have had our two boys here for six months after coming from another nursery which was having problems.
Julia Durbin has been just fantastic in every way. Brilliant staff- caring, organised and proactive. Communication is great. Lots of structured creative fun activities in pre-school.
Would highly
recommend it to anyone.
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Review from A P (Mother of Child) published on 9 January 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Julia Durbin has been extremely good at accommodating my kids after their previous nursery had closed down. My child has improved his speech, independence and ability to stay with others significantly. My daughter is absolutely enjoying it. They both love going to the nursery which is a piece of mind
when going to work.
Thank you Julia Durbin. I 100% recommend it to every single family out there.
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Review from T C (Mother of Child) published on 20 December 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All the staff at Julia Durbin are warm, welcoming and friendly They put children and their parents at ease and make what can be challenging transitions a smooth process. The activities they set up for the children each day are so creative and allow exploration of such a variety of skills. They also
have a wide range of events throughout the nursery. Soup and sparkler night was a huge success!
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Review from Sarah S (Mother of Child) published on 13 December 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Wonderful nursery! The staff are fantastic and really caring. Great food, which my daughter eats much better there than at home! Fabulous and varied activities. An enormous garden which is unusual in Oxford! Absolutely delighted, and my daughter loves attending. Thank you to the whole Julia Durbin team!
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Review from Francisca S (Mother of Child) published on 20 September 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son had a good experience at Julia Durbin Nursery - from the small room to the big brand new lodge, where he had the most wonderful learning and nurturing experiences. Teachers are attentive and caring. The meals are nutritious and balanced. The activities develop the child and help them achieve
their potential. Would highly recomend this nursery.
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Review from Tom P (Father of Child) published on 20 September 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son has flourished at Julia Durbin. He enjoyed every minute he spent there and considered the staff his family. If we ever pass nearby, he asks if he can go back to say hi - that tells you all you need to know.
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Review from D W (Mother of Child) published on 15 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been going to Julia Durbin since she was 7 months old and has just finished there at the age of 4.5 years.
This nursery is has been fantastic at all stages of her young education. The staff are caring and obviously enjoy their roles. I would absolutely recommend this nursery to anyone
looking for childcare.
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Review from Kate M (Mother of Child) published on 15 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Julia Durbin Day Nursery is a wonderful nursery. The range of activities for the kids are amazing, the staff are friendly and attentive, and the management are sensible, honest and trustworthy. I have two kids at the nursery in different rooms, and I couldn’t praise them highly enough. Would recommend
it to anyone.
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Review from Nada A (Mother of Child) published on 9 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Julia Durbin has been great. The kids love it, and the staff have been creative, fun, warm and supportive. Staff and one lady, in particular, in pre-school were very good for our little boy. It would be helpful to have more transparent fee payments and overpayment facilities, and the manager has been
very, very good.
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Review from V G (Mother of Child) published on 9 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
To all at Julia Durbin, words can never describe how grateful we are to have chosen you as our nursery over seven years ago when we were just four months pregnant. We have found the nursery and staff to be a really great source of stability for our children, particularly during the last difficult few
years where there has been little of this in the outside world. We know that both of our children have felt totally at home with your staff, and at times it has definitely been a home from home environment. I very rarely ever worried when leaving either of them and on the occasions that mum guilt from a crying child clinging on to me would creep in, I would find a lovely little photo left for me on the app to reassure me or a detailed handover at the end of the day. There are staff past and present who have definitely gone beyond the call or duty for us, and for this, we will be forever grateful!
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Review from R S (Father of Child) published on 29 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of our children have now been through Julia Durbin from under one to school age. We have been very impressed with the staff (especially the nursery manager), and it has been a happy experience for both of our children. The facilities, such as the new lodge, and events put on such as the summer
fete and graduation are excellent. We would not hesitate to recommend the nursery and will be sad to leave.
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Review from Louisa R (Mother of Child) published on 11 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great nursery, both my daughters have had a good time from 10 to 58 months. Staff are kind and seem to enjoy their jobs and the children. The nursery was excellent during covid lockdowns providing as normal an experience as possible for the children. Would not hesitate to recommend and will be very
sad when my youngest leaves.
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Review from E W (Mother of Child) published on 6 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter started Julia Durbin in April 2022, and we have been delighted with the nursery so far. The settling-in period was carefully planned, and our daughter is now having a great time there. The staff always take the time to talk to us about her day and discuss any concerns when she is unwell.
She has experienced lots of new activities and food since starting. She now waves and smiles at all the staff, and I feel confident that she is happy.
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Review from F W (Mother of Child) published on 3 March 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We feel so very lucky that our children get to go to Julia Durbin. We often hear other parents' complaints and worries about the nurseries their children go to, and I can truly say that we feel very comfortable and happy about leaving our kids in Julia Durbin care because everyone is so lovely, and
you can tell that every staff member deeply cares about (not only for) your child. All communication, whether it's with the children or with the parents, is so respectful and personal, and it feels like you're part of a big family. The kids get so much out of their time at nursery, and our eldest often speaks of the nursery staff like they're her friends.
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Review from Lewis P (Father of Child) published on 27 January 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been going to Julia Durbin for a number of months now, and his progression has been unbelievable! The team keep us up to date with everything that is going on, and it is great to see lots of pictures of him enjoying his time there!
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Review from Harpreet P (Mother of Child) published on 27 September 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter is now at school but she loved her time here - including all the many creative activities, the care and attention of her key workers and other staff, and the ways in which the nursery connected with home life. The carers always made such an effort to help my daughter settle and over time
her confidence increased. Overall, she had a brilliant experience - highly recommended!
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Review from Sara K (Mother of Child) published on 13 August 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has had the most wonderful year at Julia Durbin. The team have all looked after her with great care, kindness, and understanding, in particular her two key workers. She loves to go to the nursery to play with her friends and always leaves with a big smile on her face. We would highly recommend
Julia Durbin to any parents looking for an exceptional nursery in Oxford.
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Review from Michelle C (Mother of Child) published on 5 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both our daughters have attended Julia Durbin. It is such a lovely, warm, friendly, and nurturing place. The staff are amazing and the activities on offer for the children are great! I would not hesitate to recommend this wonderful nursery.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.927)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.927) out of 10 for Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 46 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 46 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.927 for Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) is calculated as follows: ( (511 Excellents x 5) + (38 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 550 Ratings = 4.927
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) is based on 46 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 164 number of registered child places is 32.8, which has been reached with 46 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (19)

Meet the Team (1)

Emma

Emma Wallbridge

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 1996

Emma is the Manager of Julia Durbin Day Nursery in Headington and has a wealth of experience, having worked in the early years sector for 24 years. Emma has numerous qualifications, including an NNEB, Management NVQ's and a Foundation Degree in Early Years. Emma has worked for Childbase Partnership since 1996.


What is your favourite feature of Julia Durbin?
Despite being on the hospital grounds we are almost secretly hidden within a lovely natural space and a huge natural garden. I also like our entrance and reception area as we get to greet all the families and visitors as they arrive.


What are you most proud of about your nursery/team?
Our ongoing recognition from Ofsted and amazing day nursery reviews from our parents. The staff have exceptional relationships with the families and each other which leaves a great morale across the nursery. The children are the heart of our Julia Durbin family.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) has an Enhanced Service - more info.