The Circle Nursery
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Marlborough for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 4 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2022. Open since 2009, with 45 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 Wiltshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wiltshire 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
SN8 1RFWhat 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, 16 June 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children excitedly come into the nursery, where staff greet them warmly. They are happy, well cared for and have good relationships with staff. Children's views are highly valued and staff provide them with opportunities to make decisions. They are encouraged to choose which toys they would like out for the day and where they would like to play. Children listen well as they share their views with each other. They are highly motivated and develop good physical skills through a range of stimulating experiences. For example, older children actively explore equipment in the outdoor area. They delight in their achievements as they create cars from crates, climb the steps in the playhouse and create 'cakes' in the mud. Toddlers develop their fine motor skills as they explore the tweezers and play dough. Babies learn to climb, walk and crawl as they explore their surroundings. Children behave well and have good opportunities to take safe risks as they climb trees and monkey bars. Good hygiene measures are in place and children are encouraged to develop independence with their self-care. Young children confidently use the tissues to clean their noses and are reminded to wash their hands. Children and adults eat a healthy, nutritious meal together, making mealtimes enjoyable and a sociable experience.
The manager utilises additional funding that the nursery receives effectively. For instance, she provides specific resources relevant to children's individual needs.
The most vulnerable children make good progress at the nursery. Staff kept in close contact with families during the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped to support children's learning and well-being. For example, staff held 'phone surgeries' to offer support to parents.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to maximise opportunities to extend children's mathematics skills during everyday activities n enable children more time to consider their responses to questions, help them to develop their thinking skills and express their own ideas more effectively.
- 16 June 2022Good
- 5 January 2017Outstanding
- 3 April 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Circle Nursery
- 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.