Bright Stars Childcare

Bright Stars Childcare
Unique reference number (URN): 2832522
Address: Green Lane, Frome, BA11 4JW
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 29/05/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Bright Stars Nurseries UK Limited
Inspection report: 20 May 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Expected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children are respectful of
others and people's differing views and opinions. Typically, children participate positively in
group activities. For example, they learn about democracy as they place their vote for which
book they would like staff to read during story sessions. Staff encourage children to share
and take turns. This helps children to build their collaboration and negotiation skills.
Consequently, many children can play independently in groups and overcome problems
without help from staff.
Staff help children to understand and manage their feelings and emotions through everyday
support. They provide resources and books that enable children to talk about how they feel
and learn about how feelings impact behaviours. Leaders and staff understand the
importance of children attending regularly. They work effectively and quickly with families
who may struggle with attendance. Leaders offer flexibility and individualised support to
those who need it. Clear routines help children to feel safe and secure as they know what is
happening now and next.
Staff work in partnership with parents and carers to agree strategies to use with children
who face barriers in their learning and/or have additional needs in regard to managing their
behaviour. This shared approach helps children to quickly develop the skills they need to
change their behaviour. It also successfully minimises the occurrence of negative behaviour
incidents.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
In the main, children settle easily and feel safe at this nursery. Care practices across the
nursery are respectful. For instance, staff ask children if they are ready to have their nappies
changed or noses wiped before doing so. There is a positive key-person system. Children
build effective bonds with staff who know them and their families very well. Staff tailor their
support to each individual child based on their own circumstances. For instance, when
children experience extremely upsetting and significant life events, staff go above and
beyond to ensure they offer them the security and emotional support that they need. This
limits the impact it has on children's future lives.
Typically, children benefit from a continuity of care. For example, babies' sleep routines
mirror what they are used to at home. Staff support children who have medical needs very
well in line with the advice and guidance from parents and carers and medical professionals.
Children receive encouragement to be independent. They build their self-care and
independence skills up over time. This ensures that by the time they are ready for the
transition to school, children can generally manage their personal care and do many things
for themselves without needing help from adults. Staff provide children with healthy meals
and regular exercise. Children particularly enjoy playing outdoors.

Needs attention
Achievement Needs attention
Due to the weaknesses in teaching, all children do not have consistent opportunities to
make the progress they are capable of in all areas of their learning and development. This is
because teaching is variable and they do not all consistently benefit from teaching that is
high quality and extends their learning.
Children make some progress in their communication and language development. For
example, they benefit from listening to familiar songs and stories. Children hear a range of
vocabulary and receive encouragement to participate in conversations. However, at times,
children's communication is hampered as environments can get extremely loud and busy.
This makes it hard for children to engage and stay focused, be heard and to hear others.
Children develop some other skills that prepare them well for the next stage in learning.
They build independence, learn the skills they need to make friends and display positive
attitudes to learning.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
The curriculum is not yet implemented consistently to ensure all children build on their
knowledge and skills over time. Some staff do not have the skills and knowledge they need
to engage children in purposeful and meaningful learning. There is variability in the quality of
teaching, which differs across rooms. Staff regularly assess children to identify their needs.
They use some effective teaching strategies, such as delivering learning in smaller groups
to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who find it
harder to focus. Staff interact warmly with children and extend their mathematical knowledge
and social skills through group games, such as 'What's the time, Mr Wolf?' Although
assessments are accurate and inform planning and children's next steps, teaching is not
always effective enough and children's progress remains uneven.
Staff focus on supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. They help
children to form positive relationships with adults. Staff get to know children and use
children's interests to plan activities that they are motivated to take part in. Children have
opportunities to explore with their senses and develop their motor skills. For instance, they
explore a variety of tools with dough and sensory objects in large trays. Children have
opportunities to develop their strength and coordination. For instance, babies receive
support with walking. They cruise, crawl and balance with encouragement from staff. Staff
teach toddlers how to climb up and down stairs safely. Children enjoy regular singing and
music sessions that enhance their creativity and language skills.
Some staff struggle to maintain and capture the attention of some children. Learning
environments at times become extremely busy and loud. This means, at times, children find
it hard to focus. Subsequently, their attention wanders. There are significant periods of time
when some children disengage and do not benefit from enough purposeful or meaningful
play and interaction with staff.

Inclusion Needs attention
Leaders have not provided staff with the appropriate support and training needed to help
them meet all children's learning needs consistently. Inconsistencies in the quality and
frequency of interactions mean that teaching is variable and not all children are making the
progress they are capable of. Leaders swiftly identify children who may face barriers to their
learning and those who have emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND). They put plans in place for these children. Staff provide them with personalised and
targeted support, which helps them make steady progress. However, this level of support is
not received consistently by all children.
Leaders and staff work well with parents and carers of children with SEND and those who
face other barriers to their learning. For instance, they give them tools to use with their
children at home, such as 'now and next' boards. This supports children to regulate their
emotions. Leaders work with other professionals to support children and families. They
make effective use of additional funding for children who receive it. For example, leaders
purchase resources, such as special books and memory boxes for children who experience
loss. This helps children to feel secure and helps them to manage significant changes in
their lives effectively.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
The nursery has undergone recent staffing changes. These have had an impact on being
able to maintain high-quality provision. Leaders reflect accurately on the quality of the
provision. They are taking proactive steps to establish a secure, consistent and high-quality
leadership team. Although staff have received some support, supervision sessions and
training, this has not been regular or thorough enough. This does not ensure that teaching is
always of a suitable standard to help staff improve their own personal effectiveness.
Teaching quality varies across the nursery. New leaders recognise some strengths in the
nursery. They are dedicated to improving staff morale and promoting their wellbeing,
alongside raising the overall quality of care and education children receive.
Partnerships with parents and carers are effective. Parents comment on the effective
communication between home and the nursery. They feel well informed about their
children's experiences and progress. Robust recruitment and vetting arrangements are in
place. Leaders work closely with other professionals, such as specialist nurses, social
workers and physiotherapists, to ensure that children who are considered most vulnerable
and those who face barriers to their learning receive the support they need and are
safeguarded.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
The weaknesses in the implementation of the curriculum mean that some children do not
consistently experience high-quality teaching across all areas of learning. Staff interactions
are not always frequent enough, and children's play and learning are not extended securely.
This limits how well children can build on what they already know and can do. It also means
children do not have full opportunity to make the best progress they are capable of.
Children who do need extra support, such as children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities, typically receive consistent support. However, not all groups of children benefit
from enough input from staff. As a result, some children find it harder to stay engaged,
sustain interest or participate in purposeful play. Despite these weaknesses, where activities
are delivered well, children benefit from the teaching they receive. For example, during story
sessions, older children join in with the story and learn about the title, blurb and spine of the
book. They learn mathematical language and develop confidence in their own
communication and speaking skills. Younger children bang drums and experiment with the
different sounds that instruments make.
Children get on well with one another and behave well. They arrive happy and settle quickly
into familiar routines. Staff ensure children feel safe and secure and work closely with
parents and carers to ensure settling-in processes are as supportive as possible. Children
are greeted at the door by familiar staff. Well-planned transitions into the setting help
children to separate from their parents with ease.
Staff respond quickly and sensitively to children's emotional needs. They offer additional
comfort and reassurance to children when they are unsettled. Staff help children to regulate
their emotions and re-engage in play. Some of the learning environments are not used and
organised well enough, and they can become busy and loud. This weakens the overall
learning experiences for some children and means that, at times, valuable learning time is
lost.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the
following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
improve the coaching, support and supervision of staff
and implement a targeted programme for professional
development that helps staff to improve their skills,
knowledge and personal effectiveness
21/08/2026
improve the quality of staff interactions to ensure that
they are consistently high-quality and offer all children
positive learning experiences and extend their learning
21/08/2026

Inspector:
Dominique Allotey
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2832522
Address:
Green Lane
Frome
BA11 4JW
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 29/05/2025
Registered person: Bright Stars Nurseries UK Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Somerset
Action Completion Date
review the indoor learning environments, to reduce
disruption and noise levels and minimise distractions
and interruptions to children's learning.
21/08/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children, parents and carers and the special
educational needs coordinator during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 20 May 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
86
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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