Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford)

Old Road, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JU
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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.

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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford)
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Review from Jeremy B (Father of Child) published on 5 April 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Julia Durbin is an excellent nursery. Our daughter has been there for four years and we are very happy to leave her each day in such a warm and positive environment. The staff are amazing - from the management team to the practitioners, to the cooks, and this is what makes the nursery such a high standard.
They are all very professional and caring. We get regular feedback from our daughter’s ‘key workers’ and now we get additional feedback through the ‘Parent Zone’ app. In addition, there are several events each year that parents attend.
The physical environment is superb - the best outdoor areas we saw when choosing a nursery.
And the food is very good - clearly, a lot of thought goes into providing healthy, nutritious food.


But most of all it is the staff who make our daughter’s life both educational and interesting.


It’s an excellent all round nursery - we would recommend it to anyone in the Oxford area.

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Review from Vasha B (Mother of Child) published on 3 April 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I highly recommend Julia Durbin Day Nursery to any parents/carers considering it. Two of my children attend the nursery and they've been fantastic from day one. Staff are extremely helpful and helped them both settle in really well. When I leave them in nursery, I leave knowing they will receive fantastic
care and I have absolute trust that the staff looking after my children not just qualified but have a genuine interest in ensuring they have the best time and are always very attentive. I am always provided with daily feedback on their activities and food intake. The food is made fresh and is always healthy as well as having variety. The nursery management team are very responsive to any questions or queries and always respond very promptly. The different rooms have a wide variety of fun and educational activists all year and always try to involve parents/carers. I am really glad I chose this nursery for my children.
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Review from Tetyana B (Mother of Child) published on 9 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the staff of the Ladybirds room for all the Christmas activities this month. Yesterday we received the crafts and photographs and it was a real wonderbox! The grandparents loved the adorable glittery Santa calendar and I couldn't stop smiling from the cheeky
Elf photo. Thank you so much for your creativity, your commitment, care and affection. We can see it reflected in the eyes and the smile of our little pudding!
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Review from Franziska F (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been visiting Julia Durbin Day Nursery since he is 10 months old. He settled in very well, because of the outstanding, highly qualified and lovely key workers who know him personally. He loves going to nursery. His development (including communication, social behaviour and fine/gross motor
skills) is well supported by the diverse activities, the staff and the well-equipped and carefully and lovely decorated room.


The staff and the management team are very friendly and supportive. The feedback given to us (parents) is outstanding and very helpful. We and our son are very happy and we would recommend Julia Durbin Day Nursery to everyone.

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Review from Dharati P (Mother of Child) published on 23 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) is a new place for myself and my family especially our little girl. I was uneasy at first for my daughter to go to nursery but the staff at Julia Durbin have been very supportive and helped a lot with our little girls’ development and bringing her out of her shell.


My

husband and I are very happy with the nursery and would recommend to anyone.


The staff including the management team have been great and my little girl is very happy at the nursery when she comes home I don’t have to worry about her eating she eats everything no fuss, plays and shares and just a happy child.


Thank you, Julia Durbin staff.

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Review from N J (Father of Child) published on 22 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We're very happy with Julia Durbin nursery, as is our 1-year-old daughter. The staff are lovely. There's plenty of outside space. And there's always something new going on in the nursery itself. No hesitation recommending to others.
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Review from Nathalie C (Mother of Child) published on 19 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have 2 children at the nursery, in Bumblebees and in pre-school. We are very happy with the nursery and the care that our children receive.
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Review from Maxwell (Father of Child) published on 29 December 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A wonderful nursery with very positive and enthusiastic staff members creating a great environment for children to thrive in. My daughter spends a lot of time in this nursery as me and Mum both work full time and it makes a real difference knowing she is being cared for by a brilliant team.
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Review from Christine T (Mother of Child) published on 30 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Julia Durbin Day Nursery provides every opportunity for our daughter to learn and develop her communication and motor skills.


There are various activities made available and various equipment are provided to encourage the children's development through play and exploration.


The huge outdoor garden

area is a major plus for the children to participate in outdoor activities.


I find the learning experiences for each classroom are well structured and planned, all the staff are very caring and friendly too.


Key persons for our daughter look after her very well and are doing amazing jobs in supporting and settling her in the class.


The daily reports and assessment reports are particularly helpful which allows us to be able to experience our child's developmental stage.


Words could not express how thankful we are to have our daughter taken care of so well at Julia Durbin Day Nursery, it is truly an outstanding and reliable nursery where children are kept happy and healthy!

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Review from Olivia (Mother of Child) published on 22 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A nursery with extremely high standards. All the staff are caring and supportive of the child’s needs. My daughter has always been at home with me and settled in incredibly fast with the kindness of her key worker even though she only attends a few hours a week. The nursery itself has very high standards
of cleanliness and is smart. I would highly recommend this nursery.
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Review from Alex (Father of Child) published on 22 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have no hesitation to recommend Julia Durbin nursery. Our two boys have attended the nursery over the last 6 years. They have loved every single minute of it!


As a parent you want your kids to be happy and safe when you can’t be with them. I’ve always had 100% confidence with the dedicated and

kind staff of JD.


The nursery is well managed with approachable and helpful staff, always a cheery ‘hello’ in the morning. I have always had the impression that everyone enjoys working there and this feeds into the care and love that they impart to the children.


The outdoor space is fantastic and our boys have loved the opportunity to be outdoors so much.


Highly recommended.

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Review from Chris (Father of Child) published on 9 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have had close to 3 wonderful years at Julia Durbin Day Nursery (Oxford) and during this time we have been consistently impressed with the care they have given our son. Some of the highlights have been:
We have always felt our son's key person has developed a real interest and bond with our son.
He
has always eaten very well at Julia Durbin, even when not so good at home!
The feedback given to parents is excellent.
I can definitely recommend Julia Durbin Day Nursery.
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Review from Louise S (Mother of Child) published on 14 September 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My Daughter attended the Julia Durbin Day Nursery for about 3 years. I cannot praise the nursery enough. All of the staff over the years have been so caring and considerate. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed attending the nursery and I felt she was cared for so well. The choice of key workers in the 5
rooms she was in was done in such a way to suit my child and I felt thought had gone into that.
In the whole time my daughter was at the nursery I never had a reason to complain or grumble about anything, which is amazing.
From the office staff to the kitchen staff and the staff in the rooms, you were always greeted with a smile and warm welcome.
I can't recommend the nursery enough.
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Review from Katherine (Mother of Child) published on 31 August 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been very happy at this nursery and will miss the place when she goes to school. The garden is a real asset and the children spent a lot of time outside and exploring the wildlife. The staff are engaging and take a real personal interest in the children they care for. The activities
are well planned and varied. The staff have imagination with new activities examining different themes and skills. The staff turnover appears low compared to my daughter's previous nursery.
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Review from Chris T (Father of Child) published on 31 August 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been at Julia Durbin Day Nursery since we moved to the area 2 years ago and is now heading off to school. She has gained a great deal from her time at the nursery and it has been great to see her grow in confidence. She has been very fond of all of the staff looking after her and has
also made a lovely group of friends. All the staff, both the management and the childcare teams, have been friendly, professional and excellent throughout and it offers great peace of mind to be able to leave her in their care without any worry at all. The facilities are also excellent, in particular the outside spaces and the availability of extended opening hours. I would highly recommend this nursery!
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Review from N C (Father of Child) published on 15 August 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Julia Durbin is a modern green and well-run nursery full of excellent staff headed by a wonderful manager.
Both our boys actively look forward to attending and both speak fondly of their key workers.
The programme is diverse and parent involvement is excellent.
What is nice to see is continued innovation
in care, development (child and staff) and parental involvement.
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Review from Tanya (Mother of Child) published on 15 August 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Julia Durbin Day Nursery has been a really positive part of our family life over the past years. We have found the staff approachable, helpful, and willing to talk through and to resolve any questions or concerns, and both of our (very different!) children have loved being there. Our children love
the outdoor area and the structured days, and we have really appreciated the thought that has gone into the positive management and care for the children. THANK YOU to all the staff who have poured time and energy into thinking about every aspect of the care of the children, and making the space one of growth, exploration, fun, and laughter.
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Review from Cathy O (Mother of Child) published on 10 August 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has had a wonderful two years at Julia Durbin - the staff are caring and attentive. They prepare activities according to the children's interests and links to home are strongly encouraged. We will miss everyone there as my son starts school in September.
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Review from Kate (Mother of Child) published on 28 July 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am always impressed with the level of kindness and care that Julia Durbin Nursery has for my two children who both attend half days, 3 days a week. My children are thriving within the environment provided and my only negative is that we have to leave to move back to Australia and I'm nervous I won't
find anything to match the warmth and high standards set by our experiences here.
The staff are amazing and have been a wonderful safe and supportive structure for us, who are only in Oxford for a year.
I chose Julia Durbin after seeing other places based on the warm vibe I received when viewing the nursery. I based it on the outside space, the freedom for kids to go outside if they wished, and for the space and setup of each of the rooms. For me, they maintain the right balance for providing a safe, warm hearted, fun, educational environment for our children, and as parents, we have been impressed every step of the way. We just wish we could transport the whole nursery to Sydney.
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Review from Kathryn S (Mother of Child) published on 27 June 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at Julia Durbin since November 2013 and will be leaving to go to primary school at the end of August. The care that he has received during his time at nursery has been exceptional. My son loves going to nursery and talks happily about his day when we collect him.


Julia Durbin has

a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and the nursery practitioners have helped my son develop his independence enormously. A huge range of different activities are available for the children, my son has enjoyed learning some French words, yoga on Wednesdays in Pre-School, messy play and much more. I have been particularly impressed by the way in which all of my son's key workers have worked with us to support his development. When my son was very young we used baby signing to communicate and his key workers made sure that the signs we used were consistent. More recently we have worked together to address 'challenging' behaviour by offering consistent rewards for good behaviour.
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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.