URN EY478923 · Inspected 2026-08-11 · Published 2026-10-12 · Inspector: Samantha Thorn Julia Crowley
Bright Horizons Enfield Hilly Fields Day Nurseryand Preschool Unique reference number (URN): EY478923 Address: Hymus House, Browning Road, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 0EF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 30/07/2014 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 Needs attention Safeguarding standards not met Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm. Concerns about children's safety are not immediately notified to the local authority children's social care team. This puts children at significant risk of harm. Leaders do not ensure that staff are supported and confident to whistleblow any concerns they may have about unsafe or poor practice or to know that such concerns will be taken seriously by the leadership team. This puts children at risk of harm. 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 Needs attention Weaknesses and inconsistencies in teaching and learning mean that children are not making sufficient progress from their starting points. Inconsistent behaviour management strategies mean that children do not always know what is expected of them. This can lead to unwanted behaviours and a disruption in learning. There is not a sharp enough focus on developing the youngest children's communication and language. Children do not hear new vocabulary or sentence structures to support the rapid acquisition of language. Interactions and communication are limited, resulting in children becoming disengaged. Children identified with special educational needs and/or disabilities generally make progress from their starting points. They are secure and settled in the environment. They seek out staff to support with their needs. As a result, some children are prepared for the next stage of learning and development. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Although leaders have high expectations for behaviour, these are not consistently followed. Leaders do not establish a positive environment where behaviour expectations are commonly understood. Some staff do not correct unwanted behaviours or explain why this behaviour is not appropriate. This means poor behaviours are repeated and children disengage from learning opportunities. Inconsistencies in managing behaviour and using explicit praise lead to some children not understanding what is expected of them. For example, some children are lifted from activities when unwanted behaviours persist, without explanations as to why it was unacceptable. As a result, children do not know what the expected behaviour is and how to correct it. On occasion, routines do not support children to learn and develop. For example, during tidy-up time, staff do not model expectations. Children are not supported to understand what they are meant to do, and those who are helping soon lose interest when they see their peers not helping. Where practice is better, children learn to play alongside their peers, sharing and negotiating turns. Staff teach children the importance of treating others with kindness and respect. Leaders work hard to promote the importance of attendance. Clear systems are in place to track attendance. This ensures that children develop important habits for later life. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Although leaders have a secure understanding of how their curriculum improves outcomes for all children, they do not have full oversight of how the curriculum is implemented across the nursery. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning fluctuates. Children's attempts to communicate are not always acknowledged. Not all staff demonstrate the skill or understanding to support children in their learning. For example, they are unable to articulate what they want the children to learn and how it supports that child's individual needs. Where practice is more established, staff introduce new vocabulary and extend children's learning. For example, during a tyre-stacking activity, staff use the children's interest to introduce words such as 'caterpillar', 'butterfly' and 'flying', building on children's prior knowledge. Children squeal with excitement as the tower gets taller and the caterpillar is formed. Staff join in the children's excitement, which motivates the children to continue. This supports communication and language development for some children. Typically, children's physical development is supported. Children have access to 2 large garden areas. Children enjoy moving their bodies. They climb up and over obstacle courses, race around objects when playing catch with their friends and explore different ways of moving. For example, during a game of 'Simon says', children delight in hopping, stamping their feet and spinning around. This gives children the time they need to practise their emerging skills through play. Inclusion Needs attention Weaknesses in practice have a negative impact on children. Children who struggle to manage their behaviour are not always given the extra support and encouragement they need to access the curriculum. Inconsistencies in staffing mean that staff are not always able to meet individual children's needs. For example, the youngest children's attempts to communicate are not always acknowledged, and as a result, they are unable to access learning opportunities. Urgent improvement Leaders and staff generally identify children's emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders work in collaboration with external agencies to create support plans. For example, staff who are trained to support children with SEND draw on the specialist guidance of the local authority's area special educational needs coordinator. They work together to create strategies to support some older children who are struggling to communicate effectively. Staff working with the oldest children work hard to reduce barriers to learning. For example, children who struggle to understand their emotions are given images that help to name their feelings. This enables them to understand their feelings and begin to develop strategies to support them in managing their emotions. Some staff change their sentence structures to aid understanding and give children time to process what is being said. Leaders and staff have high expectations for children with identified SEND. Typically, they provide support to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement Leaders do not ensure that policies and procedures are followed rigorously. Procedures for referral to the local authority children's social care team are not completed swiftly. This means that children are at risk of harm. Key-person arrangements are not effective. Although key persons know their key children well, inconsistencies in staffing mean that children do not have the support they need to build positive attitudes to learning. Ineffective deployment of staff means that children sometimes wait for long periods of time before their personal care needs are met. This has a significant impact on children's self-esteem and sense of self-worth. Children's independence is not always supported. For example, during snack times, children do not serve themselves and/or make choices. Younger children do not wash their hands and therefore do not develop the skills to complete each step in the process. When transitioning throughout the nursery, some children are lifted from place to place. As a result, some children do not develop the skills they need to become increasingly independent. Routines for safer sleeping are secure. Systems are in place to ensure children are monitored regularly. Staff support children to sleep or rest when needed. This ensures children are refreshed and emotionally ready for learning. Secure systems are in place to support safer eating practices. Staff ensure that mealtime routines meet children's individual dietary needs. A colour-coded system and place mats alert all staff, and procedures are followed rigorously. However, staff do not consistently use mealtimes as an opportunity to support children's social skills. Interactions between staff and children are often limited. Leadership and governance Urgent improvement Leaders' actions to tackle areas of development are ineffective. Ofsted has previously set actions relating to some of the weaknesses identified during this inspection. Leaders are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery. However, actions to improve have not been sustained. Leaders regularly provide staff with supervision meetings, additional coaching and support. However, these actions are not yet sufficiently embedded to secure consistently effective teaching. The nursery is currently experiencing a period of staffing instability. As a result, staff morale is low and their workload is unsustainable. For example, staff are frequently moved around, and there is a high number of bank and agency staff. This has a negative impact on children's progress and welfare. Leaders do not always act in children's best interests. Referrals to the local authority children's social care team are not completed swiftly. Leaders work hard to ensure that safeguarding standards improve and are aware of the inconsistencies. Procedures for whistleblowing are clear; however, these are not consistently followed. As a result, children are at risk of harm. Leaders have made some improvements. For example, safer recruitment procedures are robust and the induction of new staff is comprehensive. Staff members engage in a 3-day induction session, supporting their knowledge through training. However, the impact of the training received is variable. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has not 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 not 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 Weaknesses in leaders' systems to identify concerns about children's safety and welfare impact on the safety and wellbeing of the children at the setting. They do not ensure concerns about children are fully explored and escalated in a timely manner. Children in need of referral do not always get the support they need. Delays in the referral system put children at risk of harm. Leaders do not create an open culture around safeguarding. Staff are aware of the types of abuse, indicators and how to escalate concerns. However, systems do not support all staff to feel confident to report concerns. As a result, some staff do not feel they can whistleblow, which leads to poor practice being unchecked. Leaders do not ensure all staff have the knowledge and skills to support children's learning and development. As a result, not all children make progress from their starting points. Although there is a key-person system in place, during staff absences, the buddy key- person system puts additional burdens on the existing staff, resulting in low morale. As a result, activities are not sufficiently planned to ensure all children have quality learning experiences. Staff do not effectively support children to understand and manage their behaviour. Inconsistencies in the approach to managing behaviour result in children being unsure of what is expected of them. Some staff do not follow through when addressing unwanted behaviour. This means that unwanted behaviours continue and escalate. Some children enjoy coming to nursery. They greet their peers and staff with smiles and hellos. Some staff support children to engage in activities to support their development. For example, children enjoy making pretend food for their dolls. Staff talk about which foods are healthy. This helps children to understand the importance of food and the impact it has on our bodies. Some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs correctly identified. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with external agencies to ensure these children get the support they need. Strategies to support their communication, such as adjustments to language and pictures to aid understanding, are used. This enables children to communicate more effectively and reduces frustrations. Next steps The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action. We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date ensure concerns about children's safety are consistently identified and immediately notified to the local authority children's social care team, in line with local reporting procedures 07/09/2026 ensure that staff, including the designated safeguarding lead, are secure in their knowledge of safeguarding matters and are supported and confident to implement the setting's safeguarding policy and procedures 07/09/2026 ensure staff understand and are confident to implement whistleblowing procedures so that they can raise concerns about unsafe or poor practice and know that any concerns are taken seriously by the senior leadership team and acted upon 07/09/2026 ensure arrangements for supervision, coaching and professional development are effective in identifying weaknesses in practice and securing improvements in staff performance 07/09/2026 ensure staffing arrangements and the deployment enable all children's individual care, learning and supervision needs to be met, both indoors and outdoors 07/09/2026 About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, parents and carers, children, the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead during the inspection. Inspectors: Samantha Thorn Julia Crowley About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY478923 Address: Hymus House Browning Road Enfield Middlesex EN2 0EF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 30/07/2014 Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30 Local authority: Enfield 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 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. We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 Total number of places 70 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. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? 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