New Bicester nursery, school awards and local plans

Families in Bicester have another childcare option following the opening of Canopy Bicester, a new nursery at Bicester Avenue Garden Centre on Oxford Road.

The nursery's official launch was scheduled for Saturday, 10 October. It caters for children aged from birth to five, with registrations and individual nursery tours available.

For parents balancing work, commuting and family life, having another local childcare provider could make a practical difference.

Canopy Bicester provides full-day childcare from 7.30am to 6.30pm, alongside shorter morning, afternoon and school-day sessions.

The nursery's approach combines early learning with outdoor activities. Its facilities include a dedicated garden, and its programmes encourage children to explore nature, grow vegetables and learn about food preparation.

The provider also accepts eligible government-funded childcare hours, although additional charges may apply for services such as meals and other provisions.

According to the nursery's published price list, a privately funded full day costs £90, with shorter sessions available.

Families eligible for 15 or 30 hours of funded childcare can discuss how their entitlement applies. The nursery advises parents to request an individual breakdown of charges, particularly where additional services are included.

Canopy Bicester is located at Bicester Avenue Garden Centre, Oxford Road, OX25 2NY.

For a growing town with many young families, the opening adds another choice to Bicester's early-years childcare provision.

Bicester could gain another fitness facility after Cherwell District Council granted planning permission on 5 October to convert an industrial building at 41 Murdock Road into a gym.

The approved plans include a mezzanine floor, car and cycle parking, landscaping and associated improvements. The building is currently authorised for light industrial use, so the decision allows its proposed change to a fitness facility.

There is no confirmed opening date or operator announcement yet. Planning approval is an important first step, but it does not mean the gym is ready to open.

St Edburg’s Church of England Primary School has received two pieces of recognition for its work on inclusion and children’s rights.

The Bicester school has been named an Inclusion Quality Mark Flagship School and has also received the Gold Award from UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting Schools programme. Gold is the programme’s highest level of recognition. The awards were reported on Tuesday, 6 October and recognise work extending across the school rather than a single project.

The public inquiry into planning appeals for land around M40 Junction 10 at Baynards Green continues in the Bicester area this week.

Sessions are scheduled from Tuesday, 13 to Thursday, 15 October at Bicester Hotel Golf and Spa in Chesterton. Cherwell District Council says live-stream links will be published by 9am on each sitting day. These are appeal hearings rather than a new planning approval; further sessions are scheduled later in October.

Cherwell District Council’s executive approved the Oxfordshire Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–28 at its meeting on Monday, 5 October.

The new approach puts more emphasis on identifying housing problems earlier, preventing homelessness where possible and helping people move into sustainable accommodation more quickly. Cherwell will work with other Oxfordshire councils and NHS partners on services including prevention, supported accommodation and rough-sleeping outreach.

Bicester’s neighbourhood policing team is taking its Have Your Say sessions to four parts of town on Saturday, 17 October.

Officers are due at Glory Farm Shops, Hart Place from 10.30–11.30am, followed by Langford Village Shops from noon–1pm, Bowmont Square shops on Shakespeare Drive from 2.30–3.30pm, and Barberry Place shops on Lucerne Avenue from 4–5pm.

These small neighbourhood sessions are a useful opportunity to speak directly with the local team rather than waiting for a town-wide meeting. If there is a recurring issue where you live, Saturday offers four different places to raise it face to face.

Just outside town in Launton, The Hummingbird Centre provides support for people affected by cancer and their families.

Its services are mostly free and range from counselling and complementary therapies to mindfulness, workshops and specialist support for children whose family is dealing with cancer. It is run by a mixture of volunteers and professionals from its base at Grange Courtyard.

One of its latest programmes, Men’s Talking Space, begins on Monday, 12 October at 6pm, with dates running through to December.

It is the sort of local service many people may never notice until they suddenly need it, which is precisely why it is useful to know it is there.

M40 Junction 10 inquiry: After this week’s Chesterton hearings, the appeal inquiry is scheduled to continue from 21–23 October in Banbury, with another block of hearings later in the month.

That is your Bicester week: trains largely running, a new childcare option, a school worth celebrating and plenty of useful dates for the diary.

What new shop, service, club or community group should HelloBicester look at next?

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Cheers!!