Chesterton Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Bicester for from 2 years up to school age, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2013, with 21 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Early years education funded scheme.
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 1UNWhat 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.
Ofsted inspector, 1 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and parents receive a warm welcome on arrival. Staff provide a calm and nurturing environment, which enables children to feel safe and secure. Children settle quickly and demonstrate their strong bonds with their key person. Staff know children extremely well and are attentive to their needs. They provide cuddles, offer reassurance and give praise. As a result, children are confident to explore and show a positive attitude to their learning.
Physical development is supported well at the setting. Children enjoy playing in the outside area, running, riding the tricycles and balancing carefully on the equipment. Inside, children make marks for a purpose with a range of resources.
Older children learn to cut with scissors competently and are starting to identify and write their own names. They have fun modelling and rolling the dough as they develop use of their hand muscles. Children are confident, overall, behave well and are showing readiness for their next stage in learning and for school.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- refine the planning of adult-led activities and ensure that the intent for the curriculum is consistently implemented in practice n ensure staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour strategies for children who may find it more difficult to sit at routine times, such as lunchtime and snack time.
- 1 February 2023Good
- 16 May 2017Good
- 3 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Chesterton Playgroup
- What it costs
- Meals
- Nappies
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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.