The Palace Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Milton Keynes for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 2006, with 37 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 Milton Keynes
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Milton Keynes 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
MK2 2LNWhat 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, 15 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy to arrive at the nursery where they are warmly welcomed by staff. They build strong bonds with the children and know them well. Children are confident and secure in their environment.
Children make good progress in their learning because the staff plan and assess well. Staff build on what they know about the children and their interests. They provide learning experiences that engage and excite children to learn.
Staff provide a safe and nurturing space, in which children feel valued. For example, children role play doctors. The staff immerse themselves in the children's play, following their lead. Children write prescriptions and care for staff, wrapping bandages and giving medicine. Children show empathy as they care for staff and offer cuddles to make them feel better.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to be consistent in their behaviour management strategies, to build on younger children's understanding of behaviour expectations n improve interactions with younger children to extend their communication and language even further.
- 15 September 2023Good
- 1 February 2018Good
- 7 August 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Palace Day 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.