NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Buckingham

Circle Centre

OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established

A day nursery in Buckingham for from 2 years up to school age, open 09:45 to 15:45, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in July 2025. Open since 2013, with 10 places.

Call 01296 733900Their website

Cost

What it costs

Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.

Funded hours

Local authority funding towards the cost of a place may be available for children with an Education and Health care plan. Most children who attend our setting obtain local authority funding which contributes towards the cost of their place.

Worth knowing. We do request a Parental Contribution towards specialist therapeutic support. Any family who would face difficulties in meeting the cost of a place may apply for financial assistance from the Autism Early Support Trust.

What childcare usually costs in Buckinghamshire

£7.00an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£7.00an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Buckinghamshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
From 2 years, up to school ageRegistered with Ofsted for birth to 8+.
When it's open
09:45 to 15:45, 5 days a weekFrom Buckinghamshire Family Information Service
Funded hours
Takes themAccording to Buckinghamshire Family Information Service
Waiting list
They mention oneWorth ringing sooner rather than later, especially for a baby room place.
A second website
autismearlysupport.org.uk/circle-centre-nurseryListed on Google. Ofsted holds a different one.
How many children
10 placesSmall for England
How long open
13 yearsLong established
Address
The Old School, Middle Claydon, Buckingham, MK18 2ET

Where it is

MK18 2ET
Ofsted URN EY462850On the register since 23 April 2013
Ofsted

What 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, 14 July 2025 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Leaders have a deep commitment to maintaining an extremely high-quality provision and for continuous improvement. There is highly effective reflective practice in place. All leaders and staff undertake this to keep striving for the best they can offer to the children and families.

The nursery only offers care and education for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). More specifically, they care for autistic children or those with sensory, communication and interaction differences. The recognition for the uniqueness of each child is inspiring, and children thrive in the nursery. The nursery provides very holistic support for children and their families. They help parents and carers with strategies to support their children and interact with them at home. Leaders provide advice to ensure families receive all of their entitlements and benefits.

Leaders and staff provide a very calm, purposeful and enabling environment for children. The design of this has their very specific needs in mind. Children are curious and eager to explore. Staff support each of them on a one-to-one basis.

  • 14 July 2025Outstanding Safeguarding: Yes
  • 17 October 2019Outstanding
  • 13 November 2013Outstanding

Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.

Still missing for Circle Centre

  • 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.

Before you ring

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.
Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports ยท How we put this together.

All childcare in Buckingham