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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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
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Total of 79, showing 61-79
Review from Robert C (Father of Child) published on 17 June 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff and education they provide is excellent. Staff are always willing to help and are very kind. Their support through difficult family times has been amazing and I could not have done without them. Every member of staff is like a friend and I have loved every day for care they have provided to
my children. Their level of attainment achieved at the end of nursery was far above that of others in the areas.
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Review from Christina H (Mother of Child) published on 14 June 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are completely satified with the service we have received up to date and would recommend your nursery to everyone who would be interested. Thank you for the great work and having such a friendly and safe environment for my children. Communication is brilliant between staff and to ourselves. Although
we have not been able to take part, because of work commitments, the nursery offers a wide variety of options for parents to join in. Thank you.
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Review from David P (Father of Child) published on 9 June 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I genuinely couldn't be happier with Little Stars! The staff are caring and attentive, the range of activities that the children undertake is wonderful, and the focus on learning (especially through play) is fantastic. Our 18 month old stands by the front door each morning until we leave and she runs
to the car in anticipation. More often than not she tries to lead us to one of the play areas when we go to pick her up! The meals and snacks provided are healthy an varied. Most importantly though, we know our daughter is happy and safe there. Our daughter loves her key worker, but is equally happy and trusting with the other staff. We were so impressed that we actually increased the number of days that we went back to work specifically so that she could spend more time there, as we felt she got so much out of being there! Little Stars is simply wonderful.
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Review from Daniel (Father of Child) published on 9 June 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Every staff member we have met has been brilliant. We have had two primary carers in the different rooms and both have been professional, loving and have clearly connected with child. More than that it feels like you are leaving your child with a caring and experienced family; you can tell that everyone
is a unit working together. On top of that the level of daily reporting and communication is brilliant. You learn what their day was like and also realise that the nursery puts on a huge amount for every child. Experienced with baby led weeing, fabric nappies and all good things. Super.
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Review from Pritih (Mother of Child) published on 17 May 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
We have been extremely happy with the care that the nursery has provided so far. Our daughter took very little time to settle in, thanks to the warm, caring and friendly staff. The nursery is bright, spacious and has plenty of challenging toys to stimulate curious minds. The children seem to enjoy the
food and the menu is varied. The friendly staff are the main asset. We would not hesitate to recommend this nursery to friends.
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Review from Dominque H (Mother of Child) published on 23 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
We are extremely happy with the care our daughter receives at Little Stars. She really enjoys her time there and does many new and exciting activities which has really helped her learning. We really don't have any negatives about the nursery and we are hoping to get our youngest daughter into the nursery
too. Keep up the great work everyone.
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Review from P P (Father of Child) published on 23 February 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter loved her 4 and a half years at little stars, the activities were varied and stimulating.
She particularly enjoyed forest school and the life areas where she could exercise her imagination.


I'm really pleased with the links that were made with her new primary school which really helped

to make the transition as smooth as possible. The fact that a lot of time was put into the curriculum to ensure it matched what she is now learning at school made a huge difference.


She still speaks so fondly of her time at Little Stars and we still enjoy looking at her learning story regularly.

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Review from Mary P (Mother of Child) published on 23 February 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Stars is such an amazing place to start your child's educational journey! My son started at Little Stars at 5 months old and my daughter at 9 months old! They both have left nursery now as they are of school age but had to say what an incredible start they had in life due to having such passionate
caring qualified experienced staff looking after them! They thrived at Little Stars and loved every minute of their 5 years there! They still love to look back on their incredible learning journey books which they could keep and retell stories of the fun times that they had and the friendships they built. The quality of care and education that the staff gave to my children was amazing and I am so proud to say that the most important people in my life are my Brighthorizons babies! I would highly recommend Little stars to anybody wanted the best for their children
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Review from Esra K (Mother of Child) published on 9 February 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Stars is a wonderful nursery. Staff are extremely caring and loving. It is great to see the genuine sparkle in their eyes when they welcome my children in the mornings. There cannot be a better present than this for a mother working full-time! I have never found myself thinking about whether
my children were being well looked after when they are at Little Stars.
My elder daughter is now in School. She first went to the Nursery when she was 7 months old, and became full-time at 14 months. She kept talking about the nursery and her last key person during her first term at School. So, she was delighted to be able to go back for a couple of days just before Christmas. This shows how welcome and comfortable she felt at Little Stars.
My younger daughter spent part of the Christmas holiday asking about her key person and other staff who is looking after her. Obviously, she loves the Nursery and is aware of the care and attention she is getting there.
I am genuinely grateful to all at Little Stars for nurturing my children so well. I cannot thank them enough.
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Review from Georgiana P (Mother of Child) published on 5 February 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Nursery location is convenient as just opposite my husband's workplace. I personally like most the staff, which I find very friendly and competent. Even if our 4 year old son experienced difficulties transitioning from one age group to another, they have offered him a lot of support, patience and care,
making it easier along the way. Keep up the good job, it is certainly very much appreciated!
Reply from Marketa Cardon, Bright Horizons Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for your review. I will ask the Nursery Manager to address any comments / feedback you may have about the setting. By giving us your feedback, you are helping us to understand what we do…read more
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Review from Gemma (Mother of Child) published on 3 February 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child is very happy at Little Stars and I'm very pleased with the nursery. I love the variety of activities they do with her and the experiences that this gives her. I'm very impressed with everything they do there, I have only one minor negative comment which is that I would prefer healthier puddings
- there seem to be quite regular servings of cake, crumble etc and perhaps for the very young (6 - 18months) these could be served only occasionally. Overall though, fantastic nursery and staff!
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Review from Adam (Father of Child) published on 3 February 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent caring staff, that use a key person system which helped my daughter settle in very well and quickly. The key persons are very thoughtful and I've had great communication though telephone email and in person to be kept up todate, my daughter has a great relationship with her key person. Little
stars has a warm welcoming environment and there is always something happening to engage the children in.
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Review from Scott (Father of Child) published on 28 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little stars is an excellent nursery on the Rutherford Appleton Lab (RAL) site, so is very helpfully located for RAL staff. It is great value for money and our children love it. The activities are varied and imaginative; the food is excellent quality from the RAL canteen; the staff and kind, friendly
and get involved with all activities. I couldn't recommend Little Stars highly enough. The one drawback with such a good nursery, though, is that the waiting list is long, so very early planning is required.
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Review from Sue (Mother of Child) published on 28 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A wonderful nursery. My elder daughter has been there for over three years and my younger daughter for a year. The staff are lovely and really care about the children - I feel that I can ask them for suggestions/advice on all manner of topics relating to my girls and they also listen when I need them
to do something out of the ordinary for my children. Both children love going to the nursery and have really flourished. The nursery is so popular that it does have incredibly long waiting lists. Hopefully Bright Horizons will soon be given extra space needed to expand the nursery.
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Review from John L (Father of Child) published on 27 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very caring staff who delight in making the nursery experience enjoyable and instructive for all the children. Drop offs and pick ups are a delight, with personal interactions and individual news of what the child has done each day. My child often speaks of what he has done and who he has played and
sometimes even asks to go back whilst we are on our way home! Ask this contributes to it being a worry free experience. I can focus on work knowing that my son is well looked after.
Reply from Marketa Cardon, Bright Horizons Team at Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool
Thank you very much for your positive feedback. I'm going to let the nursery team know as they will be really pleased to read all the lovely reviews our parents left here.
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Review from Anne-Marie C (Mother of Child) published on 26 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A really great nursery. The range of activities is impressive and the staff are great. My little girl is very happy there. My son has just left the nursery to attend school. He really developed in confidence and learning during his time at nursery.
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Review from Ruth (Mother of Child) published on 26 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Stars is a lovely nursery, our daughter attended aged 1-4 and our son is there now (age 2). The staff make it a really happy and caring environment, with great attention to detail and lovely relationships with the children. They make great efforts with all activities and create imaginative and
informative records of these for parents to see. They are very welcoming and there is a great mix of different nationalities among the families, which are celebrated. Highly recommended (though waiting lists are long!).
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Review from John (Father of Child) published on 26 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have sent both our children here and have been very happy. Staff are friendly and genuinely involved with the individual children. What surprises me is that Little Stars didn't get an "Outstanding" from Ofsted. Should have done, I think. I would definitely recommend.
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Review from James (Father of Child) published on 26 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Stars is amazing! Both of my daughters attend Little Stars; every day they come home thrilled and excited by what they have done and achieved that day. They have formed wonderful relationships with their key workers and miss them when they are not at nursery. The staff are hard-working, dedicated,
skilled and clearly love their job. Communication with parents is excellent and the good relationship between parents and the nursery means that you can bring up any subject without it feeling awkward. The feedback on our daughters' progress is comprehensive and the daily handovers vital and well done. The food menu sounds varied and healthy and healthy eating habits and table manners are encouraged in the children from an early age. The nursery has a large garden and there is a separate, smaller garden for the youngest children. Children over three get to go to forest school on site; the children spend a lot of time outdoors . Activities are varied, interesting and stimulating. I have no hesitation in recommending Little Stars to anyone who asks.
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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.

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.