Busy Bees at Bicester Kingsmere
Good★ 4.4 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Bicester for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 2019, with 110 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Oxfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Oxfordshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
OX26 1EGWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 25 July 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 20 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Since the last inspection, the provider has instigated significant improvements that have raised the quality for children. Staff now support children's behaviour effectively, and children are, overall, settled and ready for learning. Children are confident and enjoy exploring the activities on offer. The provider has introduced a cohesive curriculum, and staff all understand what the intentions are for children's learning. Each room focuses on a story book, song and concept of learning. These are relevant to children's age and stage of development and encourage all children to develop a love of books and a wide repertoire of rhymes and songs. Staff encourage babies to learn words that they hear often to help support them in communicating. They link the word to the item or concept so that children become confident in understanding and using new words. Older children are expressive as they play and are growing into confident talkers.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in their development. Staff are ambitious for all children and work effectively with other professionals and parents to ensure that children have the individual care and attention that they need to thrive.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- embed the curriculum so that all staff are confident in implementing it effectively n encourage opportunities for children to be more purposefully involved in activities that are led by adults.
- 20 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 24 September 2024Needs improvement
- 4 November 2021Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees at Bicester Kingsmere
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.