Oxclose Nursery School, Washington
Oxclose Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 4 in Washington. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, ended in a report card: 6 expected standard. Before that it was rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in March 2015.
- Ofsted report card
- 0 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oxclose Nursery School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades Oxclose Nursery School on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Expected standard. "Children typically learn age-appropriate knowledge and skills through the planned curriculum."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Staff are positive role models for the children."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The sequence of the curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that all children's stages of development are considered."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school works closely and sensitively with parents and carers to identify children's barriers to learning."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are extremely reflective."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Personal, social and health education is taught at an age-appropriate level."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to enhance the strategies, opportunities and experiences for their most vulnerable children, including those who speak English as an additional language, to reflect the changing needs of the cohorts who attend"; "Leaders should build on the success of their recent work to strengthen curriculum and teaching, so that this is consistently of a high quality across the school".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Oxclose Nursery School in its own words
In its own words: "At Oxclose Community Nursery School we are passionate about learning. As a team we are committed to providing the very best for the children in our care, their families and the wider community. We aim to provide a learning environment where children can experience a sense of awe and wonder, enabling them to develop a love for learning."
From the headteacher's welcome: "The school currently offers provision for children aged 2 to 4 years old, during school term time. We are open from 7.30am to 5pm daily, offering breakfast and after school club as wraparound care."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
In 2026, 8 pupils (10.4%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Oxclose Nursery School has a resourced provision for physical disability: 2 places, 0 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Road, about 3.2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Raby Road - Dilston Close (nw-bound), 90 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Oxclose Nursery School
Children arrive happily and excited to learn each day. They confidently wave goodbye to their parents and carers as staff welcome them in. Staff are nurturing, they build extremely positive relationships with the children. This ensures that children feel safe and have a trusted adult while at school. Staff sensitively and subtly support children, both in their learning and with their wider needs. This includes children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They ensure children make progress from their starting points. Children are well prepared for their next steps at primary school. Children learn how to respect and show kindness to one another. Older children are keen to help their two-year-old friends during a transition visit. Children behave well. Guided by skilled staff, they learn the importance of sharing and taking turns. Children demonstrate good levels of engagement throughout their time at the setting. They enjoy learning and having fun with their friends. Children particularly show an interest in sharing books and stories. This helps them to learn more about themselves and the world around them. They join in with stories and familiar songs which reinforces their learning. Wider opportunities and routines, for example voting for their choice of story book, helps children to develop an age-appropriate awareness of democracy and making choices. Visits out and visitors to the setting enhance the offer for the children. For example, outings to the forest school build confidence and resilience, allowing children to start to manage risk in a safe environment. Visits from local police officers help children to learn more about people in their community. The close partnership between nursery and home is valued by parents. Parents speak highly of the setting and of the care and quality of education that staff provide for their children.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue to enhance the strategies, opportunities and experiences for their most vulnerable children, including those who speak English as an additional language, to reflect the changing needs of the cohorts who attend.
- Leaders should build on the success of their recent work to strengthen curriculum and teaching, so that this is consistently of a high quality across the school.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 30 June 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Oxclose Nursery School excels at building strong relationships with children and families, ensuring every child feels safe and valued. Staff are highly skilled at supporting children's language development and preparing them well for primary school. The school is particularly effective at including all children, with thoughtful adaptations for those with additional needs.
Key Strengths
- Staff have excellent knowledge of each child and use this to support their individual learning and wellbeing needs
- The school is highly inclusive, with thoughtful adaptations and support for children with additional needs and those learning English as an additional language
- Children develop strong language and communication skills through quality interactions and conversations with staff
- The curriculum is carefully sequenced to build foundations in prime areas of learning, preparing children well for primary school
- Staff receive regular professional development and feel well-supported by leaders
Areas for Improvement
- Work to support children from different backgrounds and those speaking English as an additional language is at an early stage and could be further developed
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed.
Extracurricular Activities
Weekly music sessions, early ball skills sessions, forest school visits, seasonal walks in the local area, baking activities
Oxclose Nursery School provides education and care that meets expected standards across all areas. The school is passionate about preparing children for primary school with a carefully designed curriculum and strong staff who know each child well.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Physical
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby nursery schools
Latest from Oxclose Nursery School
Summer Term 2026
9 Sep 2026
Spring term 2026
27 Apr 2026
Autumn term 2025
4 Jan 2026
Summer term 2025
14 Aug 2025
From Oxclose Nursery School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Oxclose Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oxclose Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oxclose Nursery School is in Sunderland; for families living there:
Apply to Sunderland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 12 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Washington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Washington
Across Sunderland council
Places available
3,305
Applications
2,921
Got 1st preference
92.9%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All secondary applications across Sunderland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
10.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oxclose Nursery School has a resourced provision for physical disability: 2 places, 0 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
77
Total Pupils
42
Boys
35
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
2
Teachers
38.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Oxclose Nursery School
What is Oxclose Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Oxclose Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Oxclose Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Oxclose Nursery School is oversubscribed, Sunderland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Oxclose Nursery School?
Oxclose Nursery School has around 77 pupils on roll.
Does Oxclose Nursery School have specialist SEN provision?
Oxclose Nursery School has a resourced provision for physical disability: 2 places, 0 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Oxclose Nursery School?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming Oxclose Nursery School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Oxclose Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 12 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oxclose Nursery School?
Oxclose Nursery School is at Brancepeth Road, Oxclose, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 0LA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)