URN EY439405 · Inspected 2026-07-21 · Published 2026-09-08 · Inspector: Anne Nicholson Melissa Cox
Bright Horizons Wokingham Day Nursery andPreschool Unique reference number (URN): EY439405 Address: Unit 7, Millars Brook, Molly Millars Lane, WOKINGHAM, Berkshire, RG41 2AD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 29/02/2012 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited Inspection report: 21 July 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 Throughout the nursery, children demonstrate their growing confidence. Babies and toddlers happily explore the resources available and engage with activities staff provide, such as exploring different shape toys, rolling play dough and incorporating plants within this. Older children develop an awareness of how to keep themselves and their friends safe as they use scissors and tools with increasing skill, and when using construction shapes and manoeuvre around the garden. Children demonstrate from an early age that they are listened to and can express their needs. Staff know them well, and whether from hearing a cry, seeing a gesture or hearing their words, they show they understand what children want or need. When children move rooms their journey, likes and dislikes are shared so the new staff can build on these further and embed them in their learning. For example, when children learn best outside staff encourage their emerging mathematical skills out their, counting leaves and problem solving when using resources. This also helps build on their awareness of the natural world. Children are making age-appropriate achievements and are gaining the skills they need for the next stage of their learning and eventual move on to school. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard The indoor and outdoor environments are well resourced and enable children to engage and experiment in their play. Staff interact well with children and generally allow them to lead the play, while also using their discussions to extend children's learning. Children have regular access to the outdoor area. Staff use the natural environment to deepen children's knowledge of the wider world. They help children to share equipment and be kind, such as being gentle to the insects they find. Children learn to negotiate risks in a safe manner, for instance, staff support children's understanding of how how to climb up and down the stairs in a safe manner. Children learn throughout their nursery journey how to manage their emotions and what is expected of them. Staff follow babies routines to maintain familiarity and share daily routines with older children so they are aware of what is happening next. Staff encourage them to share, be aware of their friends, say sorry when accidents occur and learn how to deal with minor conflicts in a positive way. Children demonstrate good manners and wait their turn, such as during games and when pouring drinks. Staff develop positive bonds with children and these support children in feeling safe and secure. As children get older, they gain an understanding of how to express their feelings in a positive way. Staff listen to children's frustrations and then discuss solutions. Staff act as positive role models and children then follow their example. Staff are quick to contact parents if children do not attend as expected to check on their welfare. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Older children are growing in their levels of independence, and manage their self-care needs well. Staff use a range of strategies, including discussions, visual aids, signing to help children understand what is happening and to help them to communicate. Staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs and work in close partnership with parents to ensure there is consistency in children's care. For example, staff learn children's home and sleep routines, and discuss how best to help children cope with new situations, such as moving home or welcoming a new baby. Staff implement safer sleeping and eating practices to promote children's safety and wellbeing. Staff demonstrate their caring nature as they sensitively meet children's needs. All children have regular opportunities to be physically active, both in their rooms and outside in the well-resourced garden areas. They have access to a variety of experiences that help them build on their developing coordination and balance. For example, children deftly manoeuvre ride-on toys outside or use scoops and tweezers to move sand, soil or feathers inside. Staff allow children time to practise and embed their skills, boosting their confidence as they offer praise and encouragement. Children express their pride, through smiles, clapping and conversation when they achieve something, and staff reinforce this with their praise. These experiences help children to develop a positive attitude towards trying new things and help build on their resilience and perseverance from a young age. All children demonstrate that they are happy, settled and feel at ease with staff. They are developing healthy lifestyles, through healthy meals, regular outdoor play and opportunity to rest if needed. Children demonstrate that they have strong bonds with staff and this supports their emotional wellbeing. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Management and staff have been working on embedding the curriculum and this is evident in how well staff now plan activities that follow children's interests. Staff take ownership of their rooms and organise the resources in a way that enables children to actively access what they want to play with. Children can sit comfortably to look at books or hear a story, they can select construction materials to build with, develop their imagination during role play or do mark making as they draw or create their own lists. Staff encourage children to develop their curiosity and build on their learning as they engage in activities. Staff's recent training on the curriculum has supported them in identifying what they know about children and how they can provide learning that builds on this. They identify next steps for children's learning and confidently share these. The activities they provide encourage children's participation. For instance, toddlers love to role play familiar activities, and staff help children express their experiences. When children share that their toy babies are unwell, staff talk to them and show how thermometers help see how hot a child is and that medicine may be given to help them get better. Pre-school children eagerly share about their holidays and how they went on a beach or saw animals on a farm. Staff talk to children and for the most part listen well. They use their knowledge of how children learn to bring in new vocabulary and other concepts, such as colours, size, weight, numbers and problem- solving. However, at times, staff are so engaged in their discussions that they do not remember to incorporate the learning intentions they had planned for children into these interactions. This leads to inconsistent targeting and teaching to meet children's next steps in learning to enable them to consistently make the best progress. Inclusion Expected standard Those staff with leadership roles for inclusion and special educational needs, alongside staff in rooms, ensure that they create an inclusive environment, where children all feel included. They identify where children may need additional support and liaise with parents and other professionals to incorporate their views and adapt their approach to meet children's individual needs. For example, for those children who need support with their communication and language staff use visual aids to help children understand what staff are sharing. They ensure they make eye contact so they know children can see staff are talking to them. Staff use their observations and assessments to help them identify any gaps in children's learning and development, and to inform their reports to other professionals to show what they have observed when making referrals. Where staff identify emerging gaps they then create individual support plans and put in place targeted strategies. This approach enables staff to help children make steady progress in their learning. Staff seek advice from other agencies and implement a number of activities to support children where emerging gaps, such as delays in speech and language, are observed. This prompt intervention, on occasion, has been seen to help children catch up and prevent the need for a referral to be made. Management consider these strategies when looking at their use of funding to ensure they target this money where it best supports children's needs and their ongoing progress. Leadership and governance Expected standard The management team, and new manager, have identified an action plan on where the nursery can make changes to improve opportunities for both staff and children. They ensure staff:child ratios and qualification ratios are maintained. Recent training and support around the curriculum and teaching has improved experiences for children and helped staff focus their practice. This is already having a positive impact on how staff identify what children need to learn and how they can support this. Staff receive supervision sessions and encouragement to continue their professional development. Regular training is carried out, such as through the daily huddles, spot questioning to monitor knowledge, team meetings and training sessions. Management demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that the changes and training they implement enhances staff's knowledge and skills to support children's experiences. They are open and reflective about what they have already put in place and what still needs embedding or implementing, and acknowledge that this is a continual journey of improvement. Management share how well the team are working together to help them achieve these changes. They share how caring staff are and how they are positive about meeting children's needs. Management work well with parents and carers, engaging them in their children's learning through regular communication, updates through the online app and encouraging them to share their views in quick polls and questionnaires. 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 enjoy their time at nursery. They demonstrate the positive relationships they have with staff and other children in how confident they are when new to them people enter their rooms. They enjoy a range of activities that staff plan, often targeted to incorporate their interests. Children engage with the activities and interact well with the caring staff, who know them well. Children show that they are aware of the daily routine. They are confident to explore and engage in these. For example, older children know the routine before going out is to have sunscreen applied and collect their hats, and they know to collect their name cards and wash their hands before meals. Children, throughout the nursery, enjoy exploring different textures and using different tools, such as tongs and rollers, to build on their physical skills and imagination. Staff use these activities to build on children's developing language, their physical coordination and social and emotional skills as they engage with each other. Children are developing their independence and right from starting their nursery journey staff encourage them to take part in their self-care needs. Children pour their drinks and serve their own food, with varying degrees of staff support, given their age and stage of development. Children arrive happy and engage well with the nursery staff and separate easily from parents. Staff promote the importance of children's attendance with parents. Children receive support to share and take turns, and as they move through the nursery these skills continue to be embedded. For example, staff encourage babies to share their toys and develop their physical coordination. They build on babies communication skills effectively through the use of words and signing. Toddlers show that they are learning about sharing when staff talk through waiting while their friend finishes their turn, and by pre-school children can explain why they need to share with their friends. Children make continual progress from their starting points, and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Children who may have barriers to their learning or special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive appropriate support to make continued progress from their starting points. Next steps Management should focus support on staff interacting effectively with children to ensure their teaching meaningfully targets children's next steps in learning to greater support children's progress. Inspectors: Anne Nicholson Melissa Cox About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY439405 Address: Unit 7, Millars Brook Molly Millars Lane WOKINGHAM Berkshire RG41 2AD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 29/02/2012 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 21 July 2026 About this inspection The inspectors both spoke with management, staff, 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 1 to 4 Total number of places 83 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. 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