Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-School, Oxford Station

Both of our sons attended the nursery for several years until they left for school, and were extremely well looked after throughout their time there. The staff's commitment to the children was exemplary, particularly during the Covid pandemic. The long opening hours are also extremely helpful for working parents, as it makes a delayed train or overrunning meeting less of a disaster than at nurseries with shorter hours.

My daughter attends The Co-op Childcare Oxford Station. She absolutely loves it, the staff go above and beyond to make sure she is well stimulated and emotionally cared for. She comes home knowing new words, new songs and new games every day. They work exceptionally hard, as do the administration clerks and chef. We feel incredibly lucky to have such an amazing nursery close by. I would not send my daughter anywhere else.

When we moved to Oxford, we were looking to place our daughter at a nursery that would understand the effects of a change of place on a 3-year-old. My daughter had been going to her previous nursery for more than 2 years, and naturally, this new move was tough for her. But I am really impressed by the way the nursery staff handled her, cared for her and provided her comfort. It made our transition into Oxford so much easier because our daughter was so well cared for in the nursery. They were incredibly patient in toilet training her and even had tips for me when I was struggling. My daughter attended all five days at the nursery and continued at the nursery till she moved on to her reception year. Honestly, when she left, I did not know who was sad - her or me! Excellent job, everyone!

We have sent both of our kids to the Co-op nursery and couldn't be happier with it. The staff are warm, caring and creative, and really engage with the kids at whatever stage they're at and whatever their individual interests. The kids are encouraged to be outdoors a lot, and we like that they have dirt, bugs, birds, and real materials like pallets and so on to explore. It appeals to us much more than a curated and sterile outdoor space. They have also learned so much in terms of phonics and counting ahead of starting school. There is always someone there to give feedback at the end of the day, and the team have been super helpful with dietary restrictions, nap transitions and toilet training . They really are brilliant!

My baby girl goes to the nursery one day a week and she seems to really enjoy her time there! The staff are very caring and attentive. The baby room is full of fun things for her to explore. The location is perfect for us! The few times she has had health issues (an allergic reaction once, another time she was sick unexpectedly - none of which was their fault!) the staff have responded so well: they let me know as soon as possible about the issue, answered all my questions fully and helpfully and offered her such good care until I was able to get her.

Thank you to all the staff for a great experience.

In terms of governance and facilities, the nursery seems to have good mechanisms to invite and respond to feedback. The nursery site is quite small and compared to other nurseries they don't have a huge outdoor space. However, the playgrounds seem adequate to the kids' needs and the site as a whole is nestled among trees by the river away from any major roads. Another benefit is the nursery is very flexible about pick-up and drop-off times, as well as extra days, so it works well around our work schedules.

Our twins started in the baby room at 9 months old and now have another year to go in preschool. They have always had a really happy time, especially because of the staff - they've formed strong bonds with several different adults, while the staff obviously know the children extremely well and are very happy to follow their interests and encourage them with what they might need help with. Our twins are very different from each other and it's lovely to see how nursery staff have responded to this - it's clear that they treat each child as an individual. Communication with parents is also great, with a really sensible amount at each stage and the app is used brilliantly to pass on photos and messages about special moments as well as important information and suggestions for things to do at home. The nursery is extremely conveniently situated for the station, which means that space is a bit squeezed, but the staff work really well with what they've got.

Our daughter has attended since 12-months-old and is now in the pre-school class preparing for the step to primary in September. I can honestly say that our experience with the nursery throughout this time has been exceptional. All nurseries have four walls, a floor and ceiling but it is not the quality of these that makes for an exceptional experience, it is the people that work within that space that make the difference. All the team have consistently demonstrated a professional, caring, flexible and creative approach to enable our daughter to flourish into a confident, well rounded and, most importantly, happy 4-year-old. I personally have suffered from a serious health scare over the last year and the management team and staff have supported us as a family to a level above and beyond what we would have expected or hoped for. We feel that our daughter is well prepared both academically and socially for primary school due to the work and environment at the nursery. Thank you!

Our daughter has been in the nursery since she was 9-months, now a pre-schooler. The first thing that comes to my mind is the feeling of being listened to as a parent. The staff really try and accommodate the various and sometimes odd things we, parents, ask for (eating habits and allergies, nap times and duration of it, flexible pick up and drop off times, etc.etc.). It is clear the children adore the members of the staff and vice versa, exemplified by inviting the staff to their birthday parties. My daughter comes home and tells us about erupting volcanos, Earth going around the Sun, woodland animals, how plants grow, excavators, when to call an ambulance, etc., which clearly she has learned about in the nursery, not to mention numbers and letters/sounds. We do feel the outside space and several toys need revamping/replacement but overall we are very happy with the nursery.

We've had three children at the Co-op Childcare Oxford Station Day Nursery over the past five years and, though individual staff have arrived and left (and in some cases returned!) over that time, the ethos of the nursery and the quality of care have remained uniformly high, even during the pandemic when working conditions were extremely difficult. We're kept very well informed about the children's day to day activities (including menus and nappy changes) and notified immediately of any small bumps or scrapes. The staff are, without exception, friendly and helpful. Our third is currently in the youngest section and we had no hesitation in sending him after very positive experiences with the previous two. Highly recommended.

I would thoroughly recommend this nursery. The staff are caring and engaged and it is well managed. My child is extremely happy here full-time and runs in happily every morning! Activities are varied and well planned to develop my child individually.

The Co-op Childcare Oxford Station Day Nursery has been ideal for our three boys. The staff are caring and nurturing and the nursery is really flexible around our arrangements. Food is excellent with an in-house cook preparing fresh meals every day. Thank you!

My little one is eligible to join a more local, school-based nursery in September but because I’m so happy with Oxford Station Nursery and how he’s gaining confidence and new skills, I’d like to keep his place here.

The only negatives are the tired facilities.

The staff at Co-op Childcare Oxford Station nursery are lovely. They are extremely friendly and flexible with regards to any special requests we may have, such as bringing in our son late some days and picking him up earlier. While I haven't witnessed the food being served, I have been inside when it was being cooked and it smelled very tasty. For the most part, our son seems to agree and is happily eating most things that he is served. Overall, our son seems to be quite happy spending time in the nursery. One thing that could do with improvement is a general clean up and spruce-up of the premises. There are lots of dead leaves and branches lying about at the entrance and the AstroTurf that used to be bright green can now barely be seen through all the sand that is on top. Some of the toys have also had their fair share of wear and tear and could do with an update.

Friendly and caring “nursery adults”, happy children. Our son has been in the nursery since he was a baby and he has always enjoyed it. He has learnt loads, especially now in the pre-school. Importantly, everyone worked very hard through the difficult Covid times and made it a very happy place for the little ones.

My son, who is 2.5-years-old, has been in this nursery since he was 9-months and my other son has been there for four years and they both absolutely loved it. We have seen them learning so much and generally being extremely happy to go there. The staff look happy and always kind and supportive to children. Communication with parents is always good and there is always a will to get better or take any feedback. I can only recommend this nursery.

Four-star for ICT as the parenting app is not that great compared to others we have used, however, emails and in-person talks are much better.

We're very happy with how well our little one is being looked after by all the staff. He's learnt so much since he started nursery, encouraged by all the activities and playtime ideas. He's growing up bilingual and everybody's been really mindful and supportive to help him cope with two languages.