A very warm welcome to The Co-operative Childcare.

Here you will find lots of general information that should be useful in getting a feel for the setting, however every child is individual and you will undoubtedly have lots of questions that relate specifically to your child’s needs, interests and their development. A tour of our quality facilities would be highly recommended in order to fully appreciate how the nursery operates and to see first hand the care and attention that each child receives. To arrange a tour, simply use the contact details on this page or pop in to the nursery itself.

At The Co-operative Childcare we never underestimate how difficult a decision it is to leave your child in the care of others and our aim is to ensure that you have all the information you need to make this very important decision.



“Children enjoy healthy and nutritious meals. These are freshly cooked on the premises and menus planned to offer a 'five a day' selection of fresh fruit and vegetables. Menus are shared with parents and children, all of whom contribute to them. Foods from a range of cultural backgrounds are offered to widen children's tastes. Children's individual dietary requirements are met well”

Latest Inspection Date 18/07/2008. To view the full report click here


Our nursery team are friendly and approachable and attend numerous training courses to enhance their knowledge, enabling them to provide the best care and enjoyable learning experiences for our children. All colleagues are qualified or working towards their qualifications and together they have over 140 years of experience in childcare. Our Nursery Manager Jan has over 20 years of experience in childcare and there is a dedicated, loyal team of 29 colleagues who help our children to have the best start in life in a bright and modern nursery setting.


The Co-operative Childcare John Radcliffe nursery opened in 2007 and is set in the hospital grounds. It is a stimulating, safe and secure environment for your child and we pride ourselves on our warm and welcoming atmosphere. There are 5 home rooms within our nursery split into the following age groups: 3 rooms for the 0-2 year olds, one room for the 2-3 year olds and one room for the 3-5 year olds.


There are four separate garden play areas that are age and developmentally appropriate. The children also have an allotment area where they learn how to take care of plants; fruit, vegetables and flowers and enjoy watching them grow. At the end of the season the children pick and taste the fruit and vegetables which are often used with a cooking activity for example making vegetable soup.

The nursery is based on the John Radcliffe hospital site, close to Headington and the centre of Oxford and very close to A34 and M40. There is a drop off point right outside the nursery and a buggy shed to keep children’s pushchairs secure whilst they are in nursery


There are many activities in addition to the core learning and play that takes place at the nursery and supports the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. An example of this is Tatty Bumpkin classes that are inspired by yoga, but are very much a creative and developmental experience. A typical session centres around Tatty Bumpkin, a quirky character, who takes the children on musical story adventures. Within the stories the children take part in lots of physical activity, relaxation, yoga poses, exploring texture and the senses, as well as the unique Tatty Bumpkin songs. The children also enjoy walks to the local park to explore the environment around them. There is a ‘Wriggly Roadshow’ which visits the nursery twice a year and the workshop gives children the opportunity to see animals such as snakes, spiders and millipedes up close. The 3-5 year old children participate in a yearly Sports Day and Graduation Day for the children leaving nursery and moving up to their new school.


At The Co-operative Childcare we offer an all inclusive package and provide all nappies, formula milk and food (breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack, tea). Our chef prepares a home cooked lunch every day using fresh produce sourced from the local butchers, greengrocers and bakers. This supports our ethics and values of being a co-operative and gives the children the nutrition they need to ensure they grow healthily whilst in our care. We also cater for all dietary requirements, allergies and cultural foods and our food is freshly made on a daily basis. We have also been awarded 5 stars (excellent) in the Scores on the Doors national award operated by the Food Standards Agency.


The parents have an information board located in the reception area which has a variety of useful information. In the 0-2 year olds and 2-3 year olds home rooms they have a feedback sheet which includes the children’s daily information of how they have been, including sleep, food, nappies and anything that they have enjoyed during the day. The 3-5 year olds carers give verbal feedback to the parent on a daily basis. The nursery has a notice board within the central area where WOW vouchers are placed, giving parents the opportunity to share any achievements from home to be incorporated into there child’s development files. Regular newsletters are sent to parents to keep them updated on up and coming events and we encourage parent participation in many of them. When parents join the nursery they are asked to complete an information from home sheet which will help the key person to settle the child into the nursery environment. Parents evening are offered at regular intervals throughout the year where the child’s key person discusses the child’s development with their parents.

There is a lending library so that parents can share the books that children read at nursery in their own homes and also a sports day which we encourage parents to take part in.


“Our quality nursery is a bright welcoming, friendly and secure setting with air conditioned rooms. We have a large team of qualified and first aid trained colleagues who are passionate about children and provide the very best care to each child as an individual. Our children are of many ethnic backgrounds supporting our values of diversity and some children have English as a second language. The nursery has four age appropriate gardens which are set out with a variety of toys, equipment, and mark making items. These are changed each morning and afternoon to ensure that our children are engaged and stimulated at all times. We love our parents and carers to be actively involved in our nursery and encourage the learning to continue at home through initiatives like a lending library of children’s books so that parents can share the experience with their children. We listen to parents and work with them to ensure that together we provide their child with the best possible start in life”

A final word from one of our parents
“My baby shines and what true testament it is that the care you provide is world class”
Mrs Maimba (Oxford)