URN EY549213 · Inspected 2026-06-16 · Published 2026-07-15 · Inspector: Sheena Bankier Tracy Bartholomew
Bright Horizons Sonning Lane Day Nursery andPreschool Unique reference number (URN): EY549213 Address: Sonning Lane, Sonning, READING, RG4 6ST Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 26/07/2017 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited Inspection report: 16 June 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Expected standard 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. Achievement Expected standard All children typically progress well from their starting points and are prepared for the next stage in their learning. Some children make even better progress, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or other barriers to learning or wellbeing. Children show curiosity and interest in their learning. They develop problem-solving skills, such as when experimenting with construction resources. Preschool children explore changes to flour and water, recognising how to make it wetter or drier. Children play together well. They become confident communicators who happily share their ideas and thoughts. Children develop a secure awareness of mathematics, including counting and identifying shapes. Children typically learn how to take care of themselves, such as helping to rub in sun cream. They develop a positive sense of wellbeing and gain physical skills securely. For example, children take part in yoga, which supports their social, emotional and physical needs. Older children benefit from optional swimming lessons, which helps to develop their stamina and muscle strength. Babies develop their walking skills well. They delight in holding onto low- level furniture to move themselves around. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders recognise the importance of children's attendance, including using government- funded hours. They understand their responsibilities to act on any concerns about children's attendance and have clear procedures to follow. Leaders and staff have created a safe and welcoming environment where children feel at ease. The key-person approach works well and promotes positive relationships. Children show staff are important to them. They seek cuddles from staff and invite them to join their play. Children play alongside and with each other well. Older children learn to share resources and enjoy listening to stories together. Staff offer plenty of caring praise and encouragement to children and teach them to be kind to others. They are positive role models for children. For instance, they encourage children to use good manners and be respectful. Key staff typically manage and guide children's behaviour well and demonstrate positive approaches. Staff promote children's awareness of keeping themselves safe, such as carrying bags safely to swimming and guide children in using resources appropriately. Staff manage daily routines well and children cooperate with these. For instance, staff ensure lunchtime is a calm time where children eat at their own pace. Staff offer exciting resources and activities. These help to engage children in exploring and investigating during their play and learning. For example, babies and toddlers explore different sensory resources and materials, such as paint, gloop, sand and water. Older children play with sensory materials imaginatively and sustain their interest very well, such as making volcanos from sand. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders recognise the importance of promoting children's welfare and wellbeing. They offer effective settling-in arrangements which help key staff meet children's needs securely. For example, babies follow their own sleep and feeding routines, offering them a familiar pattern to their day. Leaders and staff ensure children have choices about their day. For instance, older children decide whether they would like to eat their lunch earlier or later. Overall, staff provide a sensitive approach to supporting children's care needs. For example, they respectfully ask babies if they can clean their faces before undertaking this task. Staff recognise the importance of ensuring privacy for children during care routines. They are in tune with children's emotional needs. They offer cuddles and gentle care to help reassure and settle children. Key staff recognise older children's needs to have time and space to work through their emotions. They remain close by for when children are ready to talk about their feelings. Staff promote suitable hygiene routines. Children and staff wash their hands at appropriate times, such as before mealtimes. Staff support toddlers to begin to recognise when they need to use a tissue and older children use tissues independently. Leaders ensure children's health and wellbeing is promoted well. For example, children receive nutritious meals and snacks, including fruit and vegetables across the day. Staff typically provide appropriate messages to children about the importance of healthy lifestyles. Children spend plenty of time outside in the fresh air and engage in physical activities indoors and outdoors. This helps to promote their physical health and wellbeing. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders and staff securely understand the individual learning needs of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or other barriers to their learning. Overall, they take account of children's individual abilities and interests well and use these to build on their learning. Staff know children's next steps in learning and consider what children need to learn to become ready for school, such as independence, social and language skills. They understand what they expect children to learn from the activities they provide. Staff generally provide teaching and interactions which successfully promote children's learning. Sometimes, some staff do not offer timely interactions or present information clearly enough to build on children's learning further. For example, some staff ask questions in quick succession and do not give children enough time to think and respond. Leaders and staff create an environment which encourages children to independently choose resources and activities. They use a wide range of appealing resources which help to engage children in exploring and experimenting. For example, older children use metal and wooden bowls and spoons to make their own play dough. Staff encourage children to recall the ingredients and how to make dough. Children are encouraged to share resources and use their mathematical knowledge, including recognising numerals when they weigh the flour. Some staff are skilful in extending children's learning during their self-initiated play. For instance, children thoroughly enjoy pretending to travel to the zoo. Staff enhance children's play by helping them to identify animals and the sounds they make and through singing animal songs. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to their learning or wellbeing. They know the individual needs and backgrounds of the children securely. They typically use this information well to support children, such as integrating other languages children hear or use at home in daily routines. They celebrate different times of the year which are meaningful to children and their families. Across the nursery, there are generally appropriate resources to help enhance children's awareness of their own and other's similarities and differences. Leaders and staff understand their responsibilities to work with parents. They gain and share relevant information with professionals involved in supporting children's care and learning needs. This helps to promote a consistent approach to meeting children's needs. Staff with specific roles to support children with SEND or other needs are well qualified and understand their roles effectively. They offer guidance and advice to both parents and children's key persons when needed. Staff complete observations and assessments regularly which help to identify children's needs for any additional support. When children require more support, individual educational plans with targets are put in place. These are shared with parents and reviewed regularly. Leaders and staff typically review children's individual needs when using any additional funding and consider how it will benefit them. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have high expectations of themselves and staff. They spend time observing staff and typically recognise where staff's practice needs more support. Leaders provide prompt guidance to staff to help enhance their practice. They identify future improvements, including extending children's play and learning experiences with the development of a forest area. Leaders are working to recruit permanent employed staff. They currently use agency staff and when possible ensure consistency of these staff working with children. Agency staff receive an induction, which covers safeguarding, managing behaviour and the nursery's nurture approach. Leaders have not fully considered ways to build on agency staff's knowledge and skills, including their engagement and interactions with children. Employed staff speak positively about their work. They identify their workloads are manageable and that there is support for their wellbeing. Leaders regularly meet with staff individually to review their work and training needs. Staff have regular opportunities to complete professional development and training to build on their skills and knowledge. They identify their learning from training, such as confidence in following safeguarding procedures. Leaders and staff form effective partnerships with parents. They provide regular updates to parents and provide information to support children's learning and development at home. Parents praise the support and guidance they receive from staff and leaders. They comment that they are well-informed about their child's day. Parents say that their children are happy attending the nursery and make consistent progress. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children settle quickly on arrival and are keen to start their day. Leaders promote children's attendance to ensure they benefit from the learning and social experiences on offer. They provide an individual approach with flexible settling-in arrangements to meet the needs of children and parents. This helps children to gain confidence and build trusting relationships with their key person. Children form positive relationships with staff and each other. As a result, they feel safe and secure and enjoy their time at nursery. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or other barriers to their learning or wellbeing, develop skills and knowledge across all areas of learning securely. They are well prepared for their future learning. There is a sharp focus on developing children's language, physical and social skills indoors and outdoors. Overall, staff take into account how and where different children learn. All children enjoy singing with staff and exploring books. Pre-school children listen well to stories in small groups and babies recognise the purpose of books as they babble while turning pages. Children develop their small and large physical skills effectively. For instance, babies explore natural resources and stack and bang these. Pre-school aged children show increasing control when using different-sized paintbrushes and water to form letters on the patio. Toddlers have fun together as they move to music, listening to the instructions, such as to walk on tiptoes and to march around the room. There is an effective focus on building on children's independence and self-care skills. For instance, younger toddlers begin to help at lunchtime by scraping their leftover food into the compost bucket while older children help fill up water jugs. Children typically receive guidance from staff to support their understanding of expected behaviours, such as being kind to others. They take part in activities to develop their awareness of expectations. For example, babies and staff roll a ball backwards and forwards between them, helping to develop an early awareness of taking turns. Staff provide small group activities, which support children's relationships with each other and enhance their understanding of cooperating and working together. Next steps Leaders should precisely monitor staff's interactions and teaching to ensure staff's teaching is consistently of high quality, to promote children's learning and maximise their progress. Leaders should provide more support to agency staff to develop their professional learning and expertise, to help promote the overall quality of their practice and the provision further. Inspectors: Sheena Bankier Tracy Bartholomew About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY549213 Address: Sonning Lane Sonning READING RG4 6ST Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 26/07/2017 Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Wokingham Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 16 June 2026 About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, the designated safeguarding lead, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, children and parents 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. Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 112 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. 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