URN 2565023 · Inspected 2026-08-11 · Published 2026-09-22 · Inspector: Nic Henson Donna Birch
Bright Horizons Bolton Day Nursery AndPreschool Unique reference number (URN): 2565023 Address: C/o David Lloyd Leisure Club, Chorley Street, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 4AL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 03/02/2020 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited Inspection report: 11 August 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, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning, make appropriate progress from their starting points. Children typically receive the support they need to meet personalised milestones. This means children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning journey. Children access a range of activities across all areas of learning that spark natural curiosity. For example, older children work together during water play to fill containers and name the numbers on the containers as the water rises. They giggle excitedly as it overflows. Throughout the nursery, children benefit from a focus on personal, social and emotional development. Children build positive relationships with staff and their peers. They learn to share and take turns which builds emotional resilience and empathy, with guidance from staff. Children show an understanding of behavioural expectations and can listen and follow instructions appropriate to their age and stage of development. For example, children use their manners, saying, 'yes please' or 'thank you' during mealtimes. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders and staff create an inclusive environment where children typically feel safe, happy and secure. This means children play and learn together appropriately. Leaders offer flexible sessions, which help families and children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to settle into nursery life. Leaders are quick to identify non-attendance which supports families and children to establish a solid foundation for regular attendance as they move on to school. This regular attendance has a positive impact on children's learning and development opportunities. Staff are positive role models who are kind and caring. They reinforce good manners and sharing which children are responsive to. For example, children pass the bowls to their friends with the support of adults as they serve their own lunch. Overall, staff understand and consider children's uniqueness and make reasonable adaptations to maintain expectations of behaviour that reflect the children's ages and stages of development. On rare occasions, inconsistencies within routines means children spend periods of time waiting as they transition between activities. This affects children's motivation levels and attitudes, which are otherwise positive and reflect a clear sense of belonging. Children have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to celebrate their achievements. For example, children sing along while making pretend current buns using dough and share their success with staff, who match their enthusiasm. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff ensure that each child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, feels safe and valued, reinforcing children's sense of belonging. They build trusting relationships and ask children how they are feeling. For example, children respond positively to staff, who ask them how they are feeling and give them care and support when they need it. This nurturing approach means children are typically emotionally secure, confident and settled. Staff encourage children to wash their hands at mealtimes to begin to manage aspects of self-care, supporting independence. This promotes hygiene routines and creates a solid foundation of adopting healthy habits. Following additional training initiated by leaders, all staff are now confident to ensure children's dietary requirements are followed whilst ensuring a nutritional, balanced diet. Staff understand the importance of ensuring children are closely supervised to keep them safe. For example, staff sit with children and talk to them about their meal. Staff have secure knowledge and understanding of safe-sleeping guidance. They are confident with procedures to ensure children remain safe, such as placing babies on their backs and ensuring they are checked regularly. Staff adapt routines to ensure children's individual needs are met and align with routines at home. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have designed a broad and balanced curriculum which is responsive to children's interests and is generally well understood by staff. Staff promote independence well, for example, children are managing age-appropriate tasks, such as handwashing, serving their own lunches and using knives and forks to eat. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well included in the curriculum offering. Children show enjoyment as they join in with adult-led activities. For example, toddlers join staff to engage with dough while singing number rhymes. This helps children's developing numerical skills to progress. Staff working with babies prioritise supporting them to build solid foundations for the future, such as helping them develop their physical and communication skills. For example, children use their fingers to manipulate dough, while staff model language such as 'push', 'poke' and 'prod'. This helps children to develop their vocabulary and understanding alongside their play. Overall, children develop the skills they need for the next stages of their learning. However, during some activities, staff do not adapt their practice in response to children's changing interests or focus. For example, on occasion, staff focus their time on the same children. At these times, other children do not fully benefit from the high-quality teaching opportunities to extend their learning and deepen their understanding. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders and staff know their children well. This ensures children who face barriers to learning or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early and receive appropriate support. Leaders typically ensure support is tailored to individual needs. Overall, this means children experience an inclusive, welcoming environment. Ongoing partnerships with parents and carers is a priority. Leaders and staff share information effectively about children's needs, and parents play an active role in their children's learning journey. Families speak highly of the support and communication from leaders and staff. Funding is used effectively. Leaders enhance provision and offer experiences that enrich early opportunities to support children to make progress. For example, staff share thoughtful rationales to ensure purchases are purposeful and add value to individual children's unique needs. Children with SEND receive the same opportunities, and leaders make enhancements to provision to ensure children's individual needs are met. For example, recent updates to classrooms include designated quiet spaces where children can support their own self-regulation throughout the day. This means children typically feel included, valued and secure in the environment. Leaders' knowledge and understanding of how best to utilise external professional support is evident. This builds trust and a shared understanding with families as they work collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes for children. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders are reflective. They strive to better improve the provision for their children, families and staff and make positive steps to adapt practice. Leaders monitor practice regularly. Overall, professional development opportunities are typically well provided for. However, leaders realise the need to continue strengthening supervision processes to provide staff with the skills and understanding to ensure consistent levels of high-quality teaching is embedded. Leaders have a good relationship with the families they serve. This reflects their clear understanding of the local area and context they operate within. Leaders and staff know the challenges some children and families face and assist wherever possible. For example, they support families to access funding they are entitled to. Leaders embed effective key-person procedures. This ensures staff have individualised next steps in place to support children's progress across the curriculum effectively and uphold close relationships with parents and carers. Staff and families report that they feel well supported and valued by leaders. Leaders maintain positive partnerships with other professionals, such as those who work with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps them support staff to meet children's needs for a successful transition on to school. They welcome feeder schoolteachers in to support transition for those children who are reaching the end of their journey with them, to ensure they have the best possible start to school. 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 arrive happily and settle quickly into activities which pique their interest. They are greeted by staff, who are nurturing and responsive to their individual needs, and feel secure in routines that are typically well known and established. Children build secure relationships with their key person and wider team. As a result, children demonstrate a sense of belonging. Children typically demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. Children enjoy accessing free play that covers all areas of learning. They engage well with planned activities that build on what they already know and can do. For example, children eagerly discuss magnets as they explore a range of resources saying, 'the scissors stick but this one doesn't because it's got no metal'. They proudly show their achievements which are well praised by staff working with them. Children's personal, social and emotional development is nurtured in the nursery. Children move confidently around the rooms, accessing a range of activities and seeking support and comfort from staff when they need it. Children develop social and communication skills effectively. They develop their learning and typically show good levels of concentration in activities. For example, children happily engage in imaginative play, negotiating roles with their friends, as they say 'can I be the baby and you be the mummy, would that be alright?' Children are exposed to literacy and mathematics that are woven into opportunities throughout the day. They link this in everyday routines, for example, while tidying, children count the lollipop sticks back into the basket. Children enjoy developing physical skills and coordination, building confidence as they climb and balance on outdoor play equipment. Children typically understand expectations and regulate their emotions successfully with support by staff. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning join activities alongside their peers and enjoy the same experiences. Staff work closely with parents and carers to manage this. In general, children behave well and demonstrate kindness and respect towards others. As a result, children develop their resilience and emotional wellbeing. Next steps Leaders should strengthen the monitoring of staff practice so that support is precisely matched to improve their skills and make a positive difference to children's education and care. Leaders should support staff to adapt teaching in response to children's changing interest so that they benefit from emerging opportunities to extend their learning further. Leaders should review and improve transition times to reduce the time that children wait between activities. About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, 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 Inspectors: Nic Henson Donna Birch About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2565023 Address: C/o David Lloyd Leisure Club Chorley Street Bolton Lancashire BL1 4AL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 03/02/2020 Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Bolton Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 11 August 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 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. Total number of places 75 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. 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