Tiddlywinks Pre-School
Good★ 4.2 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Bicester for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 14:50, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 1994, with 48 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
OX25 2RDWhat 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, 4 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are greeted with warmth by cheerful, caring staff who are genuinely delighted to see them. The committed team takes the time to build strong connections with children and their families before they start. This ensures a seamless transition from home to pre-school. Individualised settling-in procedures cater to each child's unique needs. This allows them to quickly feel comfortable and eagerly participate in activities of their choice. Staff are gentle, nurturing and kind.
They serve as strong role models who uphold high expectations for children's behaviour.
Staff make sure that reading books is an important part of the daily routine.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve and focus teaching more precisely on what children would most benefit from learning next, particularly when children are in the outside area n support staff to encourage all children to get involved and engaged in meaningful learning, especially during times when they have free choice of activities.
- 4 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 3 July 2019Good
- 21 November 2018Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tiddlywinks Pre-School
- 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.