Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool

STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot OX11 0QX
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9.8 79 Reviews
  • Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool, Didcot
This friendly and convenient nursery provides safe and warm environments for children in Didcot and the surrounding area; caring for families of STFC as well as the local community.

The Nursery has been awarded 'Good (Jan 2023) in all 4 areas by Ofsted. To read the glowing report please visit their website.

The nursery offers a team of skilled early years professionals who are dedicated to protecting the wellbeing of children in their care and pursuing a proven curriculum of early years learning. The nursery provides regular extracurricular activities such as Forest School and Bright Horizons' Growing Programme, which includes Growing Readers, Writers and Mathematicians, which has been designed to prepare children for their transition to school.

Children also have access to a well-resourced outdoor space in all weathers. An excellent nutritionally balanced menu, prepared by the on-site chef, has been carefully planned with a professional nutritionist and offers children many opportunities to experience different types of flavours.

The garden has recently undergone a full refurbishment.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Hannah (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 18

Total Places for Children

  • 63

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Parking

  • Parking available on site.

Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool Reviews (79)

9.8

Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.775) out of 10, based on 11 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool has 79 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Reviewer Connection to Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
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Total of 79, showing 1-20
Review from Caroline C (Mother of Child) published on 16 October 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
2 of my children attended Little Stars between 2019 and 2025. I couldn't have asked for a better setting for my children. The facilities are great with a large garden and forest school for preschool age kids. Most importantly every single member of staff cares so much about the children. They educate
the children, love the children and support all aspects of their development. The activities they plan are obviously very well thought out and different every day. It's clear the staff put a lot of effort in planning activities that support development and education for the children. I am so grateful to everyone at little stars for helping to develop and nurture the little people my children have become.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for your wonderful review. We're so pleased your children have had such a positive experience at Bright Horizons Little Stars.
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Review from Zoe C (Mother of Child) published on 24 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our child was with the nursery from when she turned 1 and she has absolutely thrived there. Everyone is so kind and caring. She has felt so loved and learned so much, growing in confidence and making great friends. She just started school and while she misses her key person and the old nursery class,
it is clear she has the social confidence and inquisitiveness thanks to her brilliant time at Little Stars. She has also been able to develop some phonics and writing skills that has her in great stead for learning to read and write. She will fondly miss the rope swing and the great food too. From our side, the nursery staff were so helpful, managing around our child's medical condition and allergy, listening amd responding to any concerns or worries, and keeping us updated each day with the cool activities she's been doing. Little Stars is a great community Eva really felt fully part of. Thank you so much!
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback! We're delighted to hear you've had such a positive experience with us. Knowing that we've helped create a happy and supportive environment…read more
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Review from L C (Father of Child) published on 22 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I've had two children attend little stars full time over the last six years. Both children really enjoyed thier time at the nursery. The staff were excellent and the facilities really great (particually the outside area which both children loved).
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for sharing your experience over the pas t six years. We're so pleased both your children enjoyed their time at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool and especially loved the…read more
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Review from Seda V (Mother of Child) published on 12 August 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I trust that my son improve his communication skills as well as his self confidence since he started Little Stars. I really appreciate all team for caring my little man gently and supportive. He will definetely miss all of you.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for your kind words. We're so pleased to hear your son has grown in confidence and communication at Bright Horizons Little Stars. He will be greatly missed.
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Review from Jill S (Mother of Child) published on 29 July 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended the nursery for nearly 4 years. During this time she has been nurtured and learned multiple things which are amazing. The staff are wonderful and caring and my daughter loves going to nursery. Each day is packed with fun filled activities. Communication through the App is fabulous
- I love getting my updates. The whole experience has helped shape a lovely, well rounded little person and I can't thank the nursery enough!
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for your wonderful review. Were delighted to have been part of your daughters journey over the past four years. Its great to hear shes enjoyed the activities and that youve found the app so…read more
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Review from J B (Father of Child) published on 28 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery provides great care for my children whilst keeping them engaged in a range of different activities. Their development since attending the nursery has been excellent and as a result they will be fully prepared for starting school.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience at our nursery.
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Review from Emily N (Mother of Child) published on 28 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our child has been at this nursery since she was 10 months old (now 3). All the staff have been brilliant with her, she has grown in confidence as she progressed through the classes and now loves going in to see her friends. The nursery put on lots of exciting and interesting activities for the children
such as bringing in a lamb at Easter, making pancakes, mothers day afternoon tea, wild science visit with snakes and other creatures, to name a few. Potty/toilet training was a breeze and coordination with the nursery was perfect. Our daughter also loves the food, which sounds varied and delicious and quite often we see she eats seconds! The updates and communication on the app is also really helpful and I love getting the photo updates. We couldn't recommend it enough!
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for your amazing review! We're so happy to hear your daughter has grown in confidence and enjoyed all the fun activities. It's wonderful to know that the food, communication, and potty…read more
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Review from B L (Father of Child) published on 28 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I've been thoroughly impressed by the caring nature of the staff and how much the children manage to get up to. Communication is also excellent and there's nothing I can think of that needs improving. Very happy with our experience so far!
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for your kind review! We're so glad to hear you're happy with the care, communication, and activities your child is enjoying.
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Review from Caroline G (Mother of Child) published on 28 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at Little stars for over 2 years and we have been really impressed with it and she is obviously very happy. The do lots of great activities. The staff are wonderful and she has developed a great relationship with all her key people.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
We are delighted to receive your positive feedback, and we're thrilled to hear your daughter is thriving at our nursery.
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Review from Rebecca H (Mother of Child) published on 23 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son goes to nursery two days a week and has an amazing time! He loves the staff there, everyone is really friendly and supportive and there's a fantastic range of activities for him to enjoy. The staff in the Little Dippers room have been great, helping him settle in and it's been possible for me
to pop in and feed him during my lunch break too. The app is very useful - the right level of communication to know your child is doing well. The nursery is also conveniently located right next to my work so I don't have to add any extra distance to my commute. We would definitely recommend it!
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Hello, thank you so much for your positive feedback! Thank you for recommending us.
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Review from Patrick O (Father of Child) published on 22 December 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
It's a great place for both my kids. They loved every day they attended. Very warm, caring, and attentive staff, I couldn't have asked for any better. Both my son and daughter were attached to the nursery, and it was an emotional time during the last weeks of both my daughter and son. The app is really
helpful as I can always see what the kids are doing each day.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, Campaigns & Digital Marketing Executive at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Hello, thank you so much for your heartwarming review! We're thrilled to hear that your children loved their time at our nursery. We're glad the app has been a helpful tool for you to stay connected…read more
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Review from Ali H (Father of Child) published on 3 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great nursery for both my kids. Good app and updates to know how my kids eat and how long they slept. Staff are always nice and caring and understand really well the kids needs. Would definitely recommend this nursery.
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Review from Richard S (Father of Child) published on 28 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A wonderful environment for your child to meet new friends and thrive. Located where I work, making pick up and drop off so easy. The staff are fantastic and really looked after our daughter. Transition to school has been so easy as they prepare them months before. I could not recommend them more highly.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, Marketing and Campaigns Executive at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Hello, thank you so much for your positive feedback!
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Review from Mark D (Father of Child) published on 28 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son was at the nursery 3 days a week from just under a year old until he left for school. He really enjoyed his time there and they were able to look after his food allergy. They were always keen to let him explore in the garden area and have recently been trying to expand their material for letting
the children build and climb on things in the garden.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, Marketing and Campaigns Executive at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for letting us know how pleased you are with our nursery. Once again, thank you very much for taking the time to review us.
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Review from Matthew H (Father of Child) published on 25 July 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at nursery since August 2021, so coming up two years. She has come on leaps and bounds in this time and has thoroughly enjoyed her time there so far. She has an excellent relationship with her key person and cannot speak highly enough of the staff. When we pick her up each day it
is clear she is very happy and is fully stimulated. Each day we get an online update with pictures and commentary on what she has been up to which is of great benefit and highly appreciated. The nursery offers excellent value for money in terms of overall experience. My daughter has just turned 3 and has already made some good friends. We look forward to seeing her continue to develop over the next year or so.
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Review from Lucy H (Mother of Child) published on 5 May 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5
Haven't had a good experience since our time at the nursery in Sept 2021. The garden area isn't ideal as it's between two concrete buildings and for under two's they only have a tiny space to play in. Forest school is only talked about in theory and no evidence of it starting up again. We also observe
that unless we emphasize how much our child likes being outside, staff aren't always taking the children outside, especially in the winter months. Rooms upstairs have bright neon lights and windows are not accessible for children to look outside. Children's items often go missing. Communication from nursery management is inconsistent and inadequate. The menu is often not followed. The drop-off/pick-up area for parents is a tragic accident waiting to happen. Morale amongst staff doesn't seem high, though key workers are always caring towards our child. Our child has made some friends that we see outside of nursery and other parents share similar concerns. Not surprised the Ofsted rating lowered.
Reply from Amanda, Marketing and Campaigns Executive at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Hi, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Feedback from families is incredibly helpful and we would welcome the opportunity to review this further. If you'd like to contact us to…read more
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Review from M Z (Mother of Child) published on 26 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My kid goes there always with a smile in the morning and that is what counts most to me. Clean environment and friendly staff. The building though is not purpose built, but that's OK. They also have quite interesting activities and the kids seem to enjoy their day there. I have the feeling that the
food portions could be a bit larger.
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Review from Julia M (Mother of Child) published on 20 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Nursery staff are all very friendly and patient and many go above and beyond their job to give the children new experiences. My 15-month-old has been going for 6 months and loves it - she walks in cheerfully every day and we get written information about her day as well as a spoken discussion if we
want. Nursery are happy to use reusable nappies we provide. Excellent food provided for vegetarians.
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Review from Lizzie H (Mother of Child) published on 30 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool since 2018 and is due to start school soon, and she has loved being there! They have been so nurturing in each room, and I have seen her thrive since she has been there. My son is also attending now, and he really enjoys his
time there. Would definitely recommend this nursery, as all of the staff are very caring, and it feels like a lovely family environment for all of the children there.
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Review from Sarah U (Mother of Child) published on 19 May 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at the nursery since August 2019 and he has always loved going. Every staff member we have spoken to has always been very helpful, whether dealing directly with my son or whether answering my queries about fees or when to apply for schools and also have given me advice about potty training.
The nursery is brilliantly run and the children all seem very happy. My son adores all the staff and has made lots of friends his own age whilst there. I'm always very impressed with the menu, I'm sure he eats better there than at home! I am always so grateful to the people who make this nursery what it is and admire how hard they work.
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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.775)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.775) out of 10 for Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 11 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.9 out of 5 from 11 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.902 for Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool is calculated as follows: ( (119 Excellents x 5) + (13 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 132 Ratings = 4.902
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 4.873 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool is based on 11 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 63 number of registered child places is 12.6. 11 Positive Reviews ÷ 12.6 = 0.873
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (4)

Meet the Team (2)

Hannah

Hannah

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Hannah has a BTEC National Diploma in Childhood Studies and has worked in the baby room at Little Stars since July 2000. She started as a Nursery Nurse in the baby room and has worked her way up to Room Leader. Hannah also has experience as a Deputy Manager and steps up when required.

Claire

Claire

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Hi, my name is Claire and I am the Nursery Manager of Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool

What is the Age Range of Children that Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool accepts?

Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool Open?

Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool is open: Monday 07:30-18:00, Tuesday 07:30-18:00, Wednesday 07:30-18:00, Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-18:00.

How many Children does Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool have capacity for?

Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool has capacity for a total of 63 Children.

How far is Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool to the centre of Didcot?

3.7 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool has an Enhanced Service - more info.