The Close Day Nursery School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Banbury for babies from 3 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2025. Open since 2018, with 52 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
2 year funding and 30 hour funding.
Worth knowing. Please note that registration fees are not required for parent-carers utilising fully government funded hours.
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
OX16 5HHWhat 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, 29 April 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff know children well and demonstrate a wealth of knowledge about them and their progress. Generally, staff know what children need to learn next and build on their prior learning experiences successfully. Themes, such as learning about the life cycles of frogs, help to excite and fascinate children. Staff use technology effectively to bring this to life for older children. Staff have ongoing conversations and use commentary as they play with children. This ensures that children hear rich, descriptive language as they play. Staff use some sign language with babies to help them to express themselves, and they support children who learn English as an additional language well. This encourages all children to become confident and capable communicators. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because staff quickly identify any gaps in children's development and take action to provide targeted support. Staff work effectively with parents and exchange information readily to provide continuity in children's learning and development.
Children's behaviour is excellent. They show maturity and emotional regulation as they negotiate to find solutions to their minor disagreements. Staff support children to take turns and share, for example, when playing games together such as skittles.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop a clearer and more easily understood curriculum intent so that staff follow a singular, cohesive approach to supporting children's learning and unnecessary paperwork is reduced, meaning staff can focus on their good ability to support children's learning and development n provide consistently challenging and exciting opportunities for babies to explore freely using their increasing physical skills n give children clear and consistent messages about healthy food choices.
- 29 April 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 24 July 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Close Day Nursery School
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.