Kids Planet Garden House Nursery opens

Kids Planet Garden House Nursery – exterior view

University College, Oxford is delighted to announce the opening of Kids Planet Garden House Nursery, a new purpose-built early years setting that will provide high-quality childcare for College and University staff, students and researchers.

Located at 96 Woodstock Road in north Oxford, Garden House Nursery is a major community-facing element of Univ North, University College’s largest physical expansion in more than 300 years. The transformational Univ North development is creating new student accommodation, study and social spaces, landscaped gardens, a café, and facilities designed to support the College student and academic community.

Developed through the vision of the College and the generosity of its donors, the nursery reflects University College’s long-standing commitment to fostering an inclusive environment in which members of the College community can thrive. Offering up to 54 places for children under the age of five, it will offer priority access for the children of Univ staff, researchers and students, while also serving the wider University community.

Kids Planet Garden House Nursery – interior view

The nursery will be operated by Kids Planet Day Nurseries, one of the UK’s leading childcare providers. Its opening marks the sixth Kids Planet nursery serving the University of Oxford and its colleges, building on a longstanding partnership that supports hundreds of families across the collegiate University.

Alongside University College and Kids Planet, the University of Oxford’s Childcare Services (OUCS) team will play a central role in supporting families using the nursery. The team will oversee key administrative functions, including waiting lists, nursery place allocations, fee administration and the University’s salary sacrifice scheme, ensuring that families can access childcare support easily and efficiently. OUCS will also performance manage Kids Planet as they provide nursery care to the University of Oxford’s children.

Kids Planet Garden House Nursery – interior view

Garden House Nursery takes its name from the former home of the late Geoffrey Beard, a distinguished Oxford architect. Built on the footprint of the original Garden House property, the nursery preserves key architectural features, including its distinctive mono-pitched roofscape and clerestory windows, while creating a modern environment specifically designed for early years learning and development.

With spacious indoor facilities and secure outdoor play areas, the nursery has been designed to nurture curiosity, creativity and independence. Children attending Garden House Nursery will benefit from nutritious chef-prepared meals, specialist SEND support and Kids Planet’s outdoor learning approach, Udeskole, which places nature and exploration at the heart of children’s development.

The project will also create 18 new jobs in the local community, including opportunities for early years practitioners, room leaders, apprentices and support staff.

Baroness Valerie Amos LG CH PC, Master of University College, said:

“We are proud to see the opening of Garden House Nursery, which has been made possible through the vision of the College and the generosity of our supporters. This project reflects our commitment to ensuring that University College is a place where talented people can flourish, regardless of their family circumstances.

“Garden House Nursery embodies exactly what we set out to achieve through the Univ North development. Alongside outstanding facilities for study, teaching and student life, we wanted to create spaces that support families and strengthen our sense of community. This nursery will make a real difference to staff, students and researchers balancing family responsibilities with their academic and professional ambitions.

“Access to excellent childcare is essential in all those who are part of the Univ family to achieve their full potential. We are delighted to be working with Kids Planet, whose expertise and values align closely with our own, to create an outstanding early years environment for families across the University community.”

Nicky Hall, Childcare Director for Kids Planet Garden House Nursery, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to be opening Kids Planet Garden House Nursery in partnership with University College and the University of Oxford. Our relationship has grown because we share a genuine commitment to giving children the very best start in life while helping parents balance work and family with confidence.

“It is a wonderful and welcome investment from University College to provide an outstanding purpose-built setting for children and families. We look forward to welcoming our first children through the doors in September and building a skilled and passionate team dedicated to supporting every stage of a child’s development.”

Kids Planet Garden House represents a significant milestone in the delivery of Univ North and in University College’s ongoing commitment to supporting the wellbeing, success and diversity of its community. Together, University College and Kids Planet aim to provide accessible, high-quality childcare that benefits both children and the wider academic community.