Bright Horizons Bishop's Stortford Day Nursery and Preschool

Bright Horizons Bishop's Stortford Day Nurseryand Preschool
Unique reference number (URN): 2788197
Address: Unit 1 Western Neighbourhood Centre, Rainbird Road, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23
2AF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 19/04/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited
Inspection report: 26 January 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 are suitably prepared for the next stage of learning, including school. In each
room, children build skills sequentially so that they are prepared for their transition to the
next room in the nursery. Children generally achieve well from their starting points and
receive relevant support through regular monitoring of their progress to swiftly identify any
gaps in their learning.
Children learn to communicate effectively. Those children who speak English as an
additional language use visual aids to communicate, and staff repeat the relevant words
back to them. Young children join words together to build simple sentences, such as when
they are talking about the diggers and vehicles they see. Older children confidently share
their predictions during scientific experiments with staff. Children learn to recognise how to
keep themselves safe, finding the appropriate coloured plate and name sign as they set the
table for lunch to manage any allergies independently.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff have high expectations for all children. Positive behaviour is supported consistently
across the nursery, and staff ensure that they have considered age- and stage-appropriate
development. Staff intervene effectively, such as when young children feel overstimulated
and need support to manage their behaviour. Staff are positive role models. They recognise
when children struggle to communicate how they feel. Appropriate strategies are
consistently used to build children's self-esteem. Children take on responsibilities and tasks,
and this helps them to develop a sense of belonging and pride in the nursery.
Leaders monitor and actively encourage regular attendance and punctuality. Clear systems
are in place to address any delays in children's arrival. Discussions with parents about the
benefits to children's learning and development are meaningful. Parents share children's

learning at home with staff, and this helps build meaningful learning at the nursery to build
on children's experiences at home. Children focus well and persevere, for instance when
learning new skills like undoing zips. Staff form warm, trusting relationships with children.
There is a tailored settling-in process to help children feel secure. Babies turn to staff for
comfort and reassurance, quickly adapting to new adults in the room as they are confident in
their surroundings.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff promote children's welfare and wellbeing successfully. Key persons, along with all staff
in the rooms, know the children well, and they form meaningful bonds, responding to
children's needs attentively. Leaders and staff discuss age-appropriate behaviour with
parents and share strategies to help provide consistency for children. Parents speak highly
of the support that they receive from leaders, and they recognise the positive impact that
this guidance has on their children.
Children are happy and enjoy their time at the nursery. They are fully engaged in the range
of opportunities on offer indoors and outdoors. They make choices about where they play,
and develop the physical skills they need to move safely around the spaces they use. Staff
implement hygiene practices consistently. Overall, children become independent, such as
feeding themselves and meeting their own self-care needs. They feel safe and secure in
their surroundings, settling to sleep with ease after lunch through well-structured routines.
On the whole, children develop an understanding of making healthy choices. Older children
are able to freely access their drinking water whenever they need. However, in some rooms,
water cups are out of reach, or are in the way as children access the sink for handwashing.
Therefore, the current arrangements do not fully promote younger children's ability to
independently access their drinking water when they clearly demonstrate that they are keen
to do so.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
The curriculum is designed effectively for children to build on prior knowledge. Children build
their skills consecutively. For instance, babies hold spoons and begin to feed themselves.
Older children serve themselves from large dishes, and the oldest children scrape their
plates and tidy away once they have finished eating. Staff help children to regulate their
emotions, build their confidence and form positive relationships with others.
Staff and leaders implement effective systems to enable all children to communicate
effectively. Books are tailored to children's interests and own home lives. Photographic
books of children's families support their emotional security and promote discussion and
children's communication skills. Children enjoy learning about numbers, sharing their
knowledge confidently with staff as they weigh different vegetables. Physical development is
a real focus, particularly when staff identify any barriers to learning through regular and
meaningful assessment. Staff interact sensitively to support babies to become more mobile
and develop their early walking skills.
Leaders recognise that the staff team is still growing at the nursery. There is still further work
to fully embed professional development and training. However, the quality of staff

interactions with children is positive overall. Children display high levels of engagement,
focus and enjoyment. Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning,
including moving on to school.
Inclusion Expected standard
The nursery provides a fully inclusive environment for all children. Information from parents
is gathered before children start and is used effectively to identify children's starting points.
Staff complete regular assessments and monitor children's progress closely. Leaders and
staff have a close working relationship with parents. This enables prompt discussion and
early identification of any barriers to children's learning. Leaders have thorough oversight
and knowledge of child development, which allows them to accurately identify what is age-
and stage-appropriate behaviour. They recognise how to use any additional funding
effectively to best support children's progress.
Children who speak English as an additional language feel valued and included. Staff use
books and speaking devices to promote children's understanding of their home language.
This progresses as the children become older, with the vocabulary available becoming
broader. This helps staff to communicate effectively with children and supports children to
develop their understanding of English.
Staff provide consistency between home and the nursery. Leaders discuss strategies during
staff meetings to help staff to support children to make effective progress in their
development. Local partnerships with other professionals are meaningful and ensure the
most timely support for children if required.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders know the children and families they work with well. Families feel welcomed and
valued and part of the 'nursery family'. They take pride in the nursery that their children
attend, offering to show prospective parents around at open days. Trusting relationships
have formed between leaders, staff and parents. This benefits children's wellbeing and
development and allows for free and open discussions when required. Leaders have
established positive working relationships with other agencies and professionals. This helps
to provide swift support and intervention for children who face barriers to their learning.
Children are at the heart of all decisions made at the nursery.
Leaders are still establishing the nursery, and recruitment is ongoing. Leaders have a clear
vision and are successfully building the nursery to full capacity. They are passionate about
ensuring that staff are right for their roles. Professional development is ongoing, and, as
such, the full impact of staff training and development is yet to be seen. Regular supervision
meetings and strong role modelling from leaders have a positive impact on children's
learning. Staff speak positively about the support they receive in their roles. Leaders
continue to support staff to work towards providing consistently high-quality interactions to
children so that they can make the best possible progress.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
All children achieve well at this welcoming nursery. Children are familiar with the routines
and expectations of staff and behave well. Staff support children's positive behaviour
sensitively and consistently. They role model positive interactions for younger children to
help them to learn how to build friendships and play collaboratively. Older children do this
confidently, demonstrating a real sense of belonging at the nursery. They proudly show
visitors around the room, talking confidently about what they do at nursery. Parents speak
highly of the 'nursery family' to which they belong and recognise the importance of their
children attending regularly.
Children who face barriers to their learning quickly settle into nursery life. Staff use the
information they gather from parents effectively to help children communicate and feel
emotionally secure. For instance, record and playback resources in home languages and
photographic books help children to communicate their needs. All children have
photographic books, enabling them to talk about their families freely. Children kindly hand
the books out to their friends, who enjoy sharing their home lives with those around them.
Children become independent from a young age. Babies move around the room in a variety
of ways. Staff use their extensive knowledge of the children to help them to overcome any
barriers to their learning. They calmly provide support and encouragement when needed,
and this helps babies to master new skills. Toddlers and older children know how to keep
themselves safe, confidently following the nursery allergy procedures as they prepare for
lunch. Staff recognise when children may need support and have systems in place to
intervene swiftly and effectively. This helps children to develop the ability to manage their
own emotions and feelings. The positive interactions from staff mean that children thrive and
are well prepared for moving on to school.
Next steps
Leaders should continue to embed professional development and support practitioners to
make a consistently strong contribution to the provision and to raise the achievement of
children to a consistently high standard.
Leaders should arrange the environment more effectively so that all children can access
drinking water independently to help them to develop a healthy lifestyle.

Inspector:
Jenny Hardy
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2788197
Address:
Unit 1 Western Neighbourhood Centre
Rainbird Road
Bishop's Stortford
Hertfordshire
CM23 2AF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 19/04/2024
Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Hertfordshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 26 January 2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents
and children 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
108
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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