Bright Horizons Colchester Day Nursery and Preschool

Preschool

Unique reference number (URN): 2788198 Address: 1b Whitmore Drive, Colchester, CO4 6BT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/04/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children generally progress well through the curriculum and are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including school. Although partnerships with schools are still developing, leaders are committed to strengthening these relationships to support smooth transitions in the autumn term. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make positive progress in all areas of learning. Those who speak English as an additional language are supported effectively through visual aids, and staff learn key words from their home language, helping children to interact with peers and staff.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop secure communication and language skills. Babies babble and imitate sounds, while older children speak confidently in sentences. Regular opportunities to sing and share books further strengthen their language development. Children show curiosity, ask questions and explore the well-resourced environment with confidence. They also develop strong independence skills, with even the youngest children learning to feed themselves and manage simple tasks independently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff create a calm, positive environment with clear, age-appropriate boundaries, and children are well behaved and understand expectations. Staff build meaningful relationships and act as positive role models, implementing routines that help children feel safe, secure and aware of what comes next. However, sometimes routines are not always adapted quickly enough. For example, children sit waiting for lunch, but as the lunch takes a while to be prepared, children become disengaged. Staff do not consistently adapt their practice in the moment to engage children in positive interactions, and children sometimes become distracted. Children generally develop positive attitudes to learning. They are kind and considerate, and learn to share and take turns. Staff promote positive relationships, for example by encouraging children to show others how to spray the snails' shells with water. This turns moments of frustration into learning opportunities, helping children feel proud to teach their

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

peers, while supporting cooperation and turn-taking. Leaders recognise that barriers can affect children's attitudes to learning and work closely with families to promote regular attendance and support children's engagement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff are kind and nurturing, creating a calm and nurturing environment where children form secure attachments and settle quickly. They build strong relationships with children and families, enabling personalised support for care practices such as sleeping, weaning and feeding. This responsive approach helps children feel safe and emotionally secure. Staff celebrate children's achievements, promoting confidence and self-esteem from the start. They carefully consider barriers to emotional wellbeing and adapt practice to meet individual needs. For example, mealtimes are adjusted so all children can enjoy eating and socialising with their peers.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff support children effectively to be kind to their peers and understand and regulate their own emotions. They encourage children to make healthy choices at mealtimes and for exercise. Effective hygiene procedures are consistently followed to protect children's safety and welfare. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of how to ensure children's personal safety, including adhering to policies such as lone working and device use.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders, who have only been in post since the start of the year, have introduced significant changes that have improved the quality of teaching and interactions across the nursery. Staff have received intensive support and role modelling to strengthen their knowledge and skills. They demonstrate a secure understanding of how children learn, and plan effectively to help them make strong progress from their starting points. Leaders have a clear vision for the future of the nursery's curriculum and are committed to improving outcomes for all children. They identify weaknesses in practice and implement focused action plans to drive continued improvement. Staff identify children's needs on entry to the setting and plan engaging activities matched to their learning needs and interests early on. Children make positive progress in all areas of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff prioritise communication, creating a language-rich environment where even the youngest children are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary, songs and repetition. Mathematical concepts are skilfully integrated into everyday activities. Staff value children's individuality and build strong relationships with them and their families to support their emotional development. They use their knowledge of each child to adapt activities, ensuring accessibility for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning. However, staff do not consistently identify when children need more support to extend their physical development further. This sometimes impacts children's ability to remain engaged in play and develop their physical skills further.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff value and celebrate every child, carefully identifying changing needs and providing tailored support, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing barriers to learning. They maintain high expectations, promptly identify needs, and implement appropriate support with guidance from knowledgeable leaders responsible for SEND provision. Effective partnerships with parents contribute significantly to the nursery's inclusive practice. Staff work closely with families to understand what helps children settle and what supports their development effectively. Leaders and staff also give careful consideration to creating an inclusive environment. For example, visual aids are used for all children to support learning and understanding.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders monitor the progress children are making and ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge to assess and plan for children's individual learning and development. Staff receive training on the graduated approach to help them support children's progress. Staff work collaboratively with external professionals to ensure a coordinated approach to meeting children's needs. Children with SEND make positive progress, and staff typically adapt learning experiences to support their development. Overall, the nursery demonstrates a secure commitment to inclusive practice. However, learning is not consistently adapted in the moment to meet the needs of younger children, in particular to provide highly responsive support for their physical development. Leaders use early years pupil funding effectively to support the needs of children who face barriers to their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The leadership team, in post since the start of the year, has made significant improvements that benefit both children and staff. They have taken the time to upskill staff's practice to enable them to provide children with effective teaching and learning opportunities. Leaders are passionate about providing high-quality care and education and have quickly built strong relationships with children, families and staff.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel valued and supported, and their wellbeing is prioritised. Leaders maintain robust links with external health professionals and provide effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in addition to offering training and guidance to staff. The needs of children with SEND are considered effectively and individualised support is implemented; consequently, they make steady progress in their learning. Leaders quickly identify staff training needs, deploy staff effectively and create growth opportunities through mentoring and visits from experienced colleagues across other settings within the organisation. As a newly established team, leaders are still embedding development plans to consistently drive the highest outcomes, particularly in the quality of teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Prior to inspection, the provider met their legal responsibility as set out in the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage' and notified Ofsted of 2 significant events. On one occasion, a child was left unsupervised in the bathroom for a short period of time. On another occasion, staff failed to follow procedures to keep a child safe and well after administering first aid. Appropriate action was taken to meet requirements, including reviewing first-aid procedures and supervision policies and retraining staff. Leaders continue to monitor practice closely and implement any necessary improvements, demonstrating a proactive approach to maintaining children's welfare.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children thrive in this warm, welcoming and inclusive nursery, where they settle quickly and form close, secure relationships with both staff and their peers. Staff develop a deep understanding of children and their families, establishing strong partnerships from the outset that support a seamless transition into the nursery. Their detailed knowledge of each child enables them to plan meaningful and engaging learning opportunities from the very beginning. Activities and daily routines are generally well planned and thoughtfully implemented. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as those who face barriers to learning, are fully included in all aspects of the curriculum. Staff carefully consider the most effective ways to support children with SEND, ensuring they can access activities and learning experiences alongside their peers.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children develop a strong love of books, and even the youngest children begin to communicate effectively. Babies are well supported in developing early communication skills. They maintain eye contact with staff and listen attentively as staff sing to them. Staff skilfully promote early language development, for example by repeating words such as 'drip, drip, drip' as babies explore water play. Older children show great enthusiasm when exploring ice in cups, using a wide range of language as they discuss how best to remove the ice. Through these experiences, children develop problem-solving skills and learn to predict outcomes. Staff actively encourage friendships and positive relationships between children. Children thoroughly enjoy group activities, developing independence and taking on responsibilities. For example, they confidently help staff feed the pet snails and spray their shells, learning to respect and care for living creatures. Overall, children acquire the key

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

skills needed for the next stage of their learning, including starting school. Children's attendance is monitored closely, and parents are supported to understand its importance.

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Next steps

Leaders should adapt routines for children to help them remain engaged and develop a positive attitude to learning.

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. Leaders should plan and implement the curriculum more effectively for physical development, particularly for younger children, to help extend their large-muscle skills.

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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, the designated safeguarding lead, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and children during the inspection.

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About this 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. This data is from 11 February 2026

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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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.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. 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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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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