Bright Horizons Shortlands Day Nursery and Preschool

Bright Horizons Shortlands Day Nursery andPreschool
Unique reference number (URN): EY332042
Address: 84 Martins Road, Shortlands, BR2 0EF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 28/04/2006
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited
Inspection report: 6 May 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Strong 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.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders create a welcoming and inclusive environment where every child is considered a
unique individual, valued and very well supported. Leaders and staff effectively and
consistently identify and assess children's individual needs through careful observations,
assessments and conversations with parents. They ensure that they identify and promptly
address any barriers to learning. Leaders and staff provide highly effective targeted support
and well-planned activities to ensure children progress well in their learning.
Leaders and staff carefully adapt the curriculum so that every child can succeed. For
example, staff support children by use of visual resources to help them make choices as
well as help them understand what happens next. Children have access to regular
movement and sensory resources to help them stay involved in learning. Children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to learning,
consistently benefit from focused adult support and well-planned adjustments. These help
children join in activities so they can learn and explore alongside their friends.
Leaders and staff have highly effective procedures to review children's progress and change
support when needed to help children achieve their full potential. They work closely with
parents and other professionals and share advice to ensure consistency in children's
learning and development.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who
face barriers to their learning, progress well from their starting points. The curriculum
typically helps to provide children with the support they need to build on their existing skills.
Children learn a range of skills that prepare them for the next stage in learning, including
school. Children who speak English as an additional language become confident talkers.
Children show high levels of confidence and independence and demonstrate positive,
respectful behaviour towards one another. They learn to respect each other's differences.
Children develop good physical skills, including core strength and small-muscle movements.
They learn to manage hygiene routines, including handwashing, by themselves. Children
enjoy sorting, learn to count in sequence and understand positional language. They develop
a love for books. Children are imaginative during play. They engage in activities for extended
periods of time, which helps them develop good concentration skills.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff are warm, kind and caring. They are positive role models and create a
learning environment where expectations for positive behaviour are reinforced well. As a
result, children behave well. Children play cooperatively and often initiate their own play,
which demonstrates a high level of imagination and motivation to explore and learn.
Children develop secure relationships with their key persons. They enjoy sharing activities
with staff. For example, they choose a book for staff to read to them. Staff promote children's
positive interactions with their peers. For example, staff encourage babies to take turns to
press the buttons while exploring electronic resources. Staff work closely with parents to
meet children's healthcare needs and to encourage children's attendance. Leaders promote
the importance of regular attendance for children's early education and to help prepare them
for later learning, including attending school. Parents provide positive feedback regarding
staff's partnership with them to support children to learn toilet routines.
Overall, children are motivated to learn and develop positive attitudes to learning, although
this is not always consistent. For example, there are occasions when staff do not plan the
curriculum as well to engage some children who are less confident. This means that there
are times when some children are not fully engaged in learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders place high priority on children's welfare and wellbeing. Key persons share
information effectively with parents to understand young children's feeding and sleep-time
routines and to meet their individual needs. Staff use signs to promote young children's
understanding, for instance to check if they would like a second helping of food. These
inclusive practices help to support children who are non-verbal and those who learn English
as an additional language to learn to make choices. On some occasions, leaders do not

swiftly identify and address any adaptations needed to staffing arrangements to meet the
changing needs of children, particularly during transition between activities. Staff follow
effective procedures when children have accidents. They have secure knowledge of first aid
and promptly report accidents to parents.
Staff teach children the importance of brushing their teeth. They arrange activities to practise
how to brush teeth effectively and hold meaningful discussions about why and how to care
for their teeth. Children benefit from daily access to the outdoors and enjoy healthy and
nutritious snacks and meals throughout the day. This supports children's good health. Staff
model good manners, and children learn how to use polite words, such as please and thank
you. Children learn to share and take turns. Staff support children's physical development
well through a range of activities, such as balancing on beams.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders successfully oversee the quality of curriculum and teaching. The curriculum is well
designed and provides children with a broad range of learning experiences. Generally, staff
understand how to deliver a high-quality curriculum. Staff use assessments very well to
support all children, including those who face barriers to their learning and for children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Staff ensure babies explore with their senses. For example, staff show young children how
to separate shredded paper from the sand by passing the sand through a sieve. These
experiences help young children to develop their early understanding of the use of
resources for a purpose and their understanding of the world. Staff encourage babies to
explore interactive books and encourage them to sing along, repeat words and name
objects. Staff skilfully include positional language for older children to build on their
mathematical skills. For example, children learn to explain whether a train goes forward or
backwards. Staff build on children's vocabulary and introduce new words, such as reverse.
On some occasions, staff do not plan effectively to stimulate children's interest in trying new
experiences or joining in group activities. Leaders understand where staff need support and
have an action plan to bring about improvement.
Staff who support children who speak English as an additional language work in partnership
with parents to encourage the use of English as well as the home language. They use the
key words in the children's home language to support understanding when children first
start. This helps children feel included. Staff encourage families to listen to audio books at
home to improve their pronunciation and extend their English vocabulary.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders demonstrate passion and commitment towards their work. They have an accurate
understanding of the setting, which helps them evaluate strengths and areas for
development. Leaders look after staff's wellbeing and ensure their workload is manageable.
They provide targeted training for staff to enhance their teaching skills. Staff attended
training to help them gain confidence in teaching mathematics. This has a positive impact on
children's experiences and the progress children make in this area of learning. Leaders take
prompt action to address any inconsistencies in staff's implementation in the setting's
policies and procedures, particularly in behaviour management.

Leaders use their excellent knowledge of child development to personalise support for
young children who start at the setting. For example, they gather detailed information from
parents regarding babies' prior experiences of attachments and thoughtfully plan a settling-
in process that helps to meet their needs. Leaders provide opportunities for parents before
their children join to get to know each other, creating a sense of community in which all
parents and their children feel welcome. Leaders consider children's individual needs and
experiences when making decisions. For example, they use funding effectively to enhance
children's experiences in the outdoor environment, particularly for those who have fewer
opportunities for this at home.
Leaders work effectively with external professionals, particularly when supporting children
with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They follow professional advice carefully
and consistently to ensure children's wellbeing and individual care and learning needs are
prioritised. Leaders create a working partnership with parents that promotes involvement in
children's learning from the start. Parents appreciate the warm and caring environment for
their children's learning journey. They receive helpful suggestions on how they can extend
their children's learning at home. This collaborative approach creates consistency that
meets the diverse needs of all children and families.
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 feel happy and safe in this setting. They are warmly welcomed by staff on arrival,
which helps them easily separate from their parents and carers. Children's unique needs are
promptly identified, valued and very well supported by skilled leaders and staff.
Babies are encouraged to explore making marks with water on a chalk board. When staff
show them how to dip the brush in the water and draw a face with eyes, ears and nose,
children are keen to give it a go. Babies build on their independence during mealtimes. They
learn to use cutlery, closely supported by staff. Young children learn to follow instructions
that help to keep themselves and others safe. For instance, they learn to keep the sand in
the tray as they play.
Young children respond well to encouragement from staff and are motivated to follow their
interests in play. While playing outdoors, they successfully aim and throw a ball into a fixed
basket at a height. Staff praise them for their achievement, and they are keen to try again.
Children have fun as they engage in learning experiences that promote their physical skills.
They use a range of equipment, such as balancing beams and tricycles. They learn to
negotiate with one another and behave well.
Young children enjoy rolling and cutting out the play dough and eagerly name the shapes
they created. Pre-school children demonstrate a high level of imagination and pretend to
create menus for their café. Children make choices about their play under staff supervision.
For example, when children decide to finish a mark-making activity, staff supervise them
while they use scissors to make spaghetti out of paper. They benefit from a broad and well-
taught curriculum. Children across the nursery successfully build on their knowledge of
mathematical concepts. They learn to count in sequence, negotiate the volume of water,
name shapes and confidently use positional language to explain directions.

Inspectors:
Katarina Hustava
Geetha Ramesh
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY332042
Address:
84 Martins Road
Shortlands
BR2 0EF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 28/04/2006
Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30
Next steps
Leaders should support staff to strengthen planning to stimulate individual children's
participation during some activities, particularly to encourage them to try new
experiences.
Leaders should support staff to review children's emerging needs on an ongoing basis
and consistently identify when additional staff may be needed to manage busy times
during the day.
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with the managers, leaders, the special educational needs
coordinator, practitioners, 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.

Local authority: Bromley
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 6 May 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
74
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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