Courtyard Preschool
Good★ 4.9 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Bicester for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2022. Open since 2011, with 22 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 6DJWhat 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, 18 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy their time at the pre-school. They are lovingly cared for by the friendly and nurturing staff, who know them well. Children spend lots of time outside getting plenty of fresh air and exercise. They laugh and shriek with excitement as they join in playing a game of 'What's the time the manager.' Children become immersed in the make-believe roles of being the 'scary' wolf and pretending to be 'frightened' as they run away. They work together and negotiate whose turn it is to call out the time. Children concentrate on accurately counting how many steps they take. They talk about how they feel and notice the effect the physical exercise has on their bodies.
Children benefit from a variety of experiences that are interesting and capture their attention. They are confident to join in with others, take part and have a go at new things. For instance, children collaborate with their friends to make a giant water run using guttering and tyres. They focus and concentrate on the task and listen to each other's ideas. They celebrate and cheer when they accomplish their goal of getting the water to run to the bottom of the ramp without leaking.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- encourage staff to strengthen their conversations and interactions with children to deepen children's knowledge and stretch their learning to a even higher level.
- enhance support for staff, so that they all clearly understand and focus sharply on what they want children to learn from the activities they provide.
- 18 May 2022Good
- 31 January 2017Good
- 9 February 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Courtyard Preschool
- 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.