Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool

18 Marcham Road, Abingdon OX14 1AA
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9.6 93 Reviews
  • Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool, Abingdon
Bright Horizons St Mary’s has a skilled childcare team that take pride in the service they offer to Abingdon parents. They ensure that each child’s health and well-being is protected while achieving excellent early years learning through a range of play activities and related resources.

The nursery has large outdoor areas which allow free flow and encourage children to play and explore in a safe, stimulating space. The garden is also equipped to support all children's needs and abilities. A forest school area gives children plenty of opportunities to learn where their boundaries lie and what is and is not safe under adult guidance.

All staff are highly-trained and experienced in the challenges of an early years education.

The nursery received and Ofsted rating of 'Good' in August 2017.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Gemma (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 18

Total Places for Children

  • 114

Age Range

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

Opening Times

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

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Parking

  • Car park at the back of the nursery with easy access to the main building at the coach house.

Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool Reviews (93)

9.6

Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool has a Review Score of 9.6 (9.618) out of 10, based on 18 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool has 93 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
  • 93
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Reviewer Connection to Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool
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Total of 93, showing 41-60
Review from J D (Father of Child) published on 25 June 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
No overall complaints with any aspect of the nursery apart from - lack of clarity over potty training.
Initially, we were told to train him as we were planning to and bring him to nursery in pull-ups. On the 1st day, he wet himself 5 times and had to be walked out in just a nappy. We were then told
he has to ask to go to the toilet, which hadn't been taught at home. It was only after this incident, we were informed of the nursery's process. It was embarrassing for our son and completely avoidable.
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Review from R G (Mother of Child) published on 22 June 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little boy enjoys his days at nursery and we appreciate the range of activities he takes part in.
The feedback sheets are detailed and tell us what he can't (yet). The staff are friendly and remember the details of his life.
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Review from Hannah S (Mother of Child) published on 18 June 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have some behavioural issues with our daughter and the way her key worker and colleagues have dealt with it has been amazing. Just another reason we love sending her to St Mary's. They genuinely care and want to help support us.
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Review from Leah K (Mother of Child) published on 8 June 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5
The staff in the rooms are brilliant with our children. They know our children well and communicate openly with us, we are always able to find out about their progress. The facilities are good, which is to be expected for the fees we pay. There is also a good range of activities available, particularly
in the toddler room. A period of poor management led to high turnover and unrest but this is now improving.
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Review from Courtney P (Mother of Child) published on 7 June 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My child has a great bond with his key worker, he feels comfortable and relaxed when going into the toddler room in the mornings. He enjoys the day and is always happy when I pick him up in the evenings.
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Review from T R (Mother of Child) published on 16 May 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both children feel excited to go to nursery each morning and it is clearly a welcoming environment. The staff take time to get to know the children.
Only negatives are that management team has been disorganised as to when children can start at the nursery and some accommodation should be made to Monday
attendance in terms of the number of bank holidays.
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Review from Anita W (Mother of Child) published on 19 October 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The toddler room at St Mary's was the perfect way to introduce nursery to my son. He was assigned a very enthusiastic key worker who really helped him to settle in and bring out his personality.
The room was spacious, allowing him to be independent, with good facilities.
The outdoor space was brilliant.
My son loved forest school.
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Review from Elizabeth T (Mother of Child) published on 26 July 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has really enjoyed her first experience of the nursery. The environment is a great standard as are the rooms and food. My daughter has been particularly lucky with her key worker who is so thoughtful and kind - we love her!
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Review from Sarah L (Mother of Child) published on 24 July 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son has had a wonderful time in the baby room since joining in January. The staff have been tremendously supportive and genuinely care about his welfare. His development has come on leaps and bounds and I am confident this is largely due to their support and care. A huge thank you!
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Review from S S (Mother of Child) published on 24 July 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am very happy with the nursery and its staff. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. They all make a point of talking to me and update me if they have seen or had a cuddle with my daughter. They all care about how she is and are genuinely interested in babies and children. The nursery feel is that
of a family and my daughter loves coming. At the beginning, she was placed in the toddler room for her settles and seemed to be okay but on the last one, she became very anxious and unhappy. The team immediately looked at her needs and she was transferred into the baby room where she settled quickly and was happy. My daughter loves her key person and they have a fantastic bond. I am very comfortable leaving her at drop off. I would definitely recommend the nursery and have done so on many occasions as my son went here also.
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Review from Jodie O (Mother of Child) published on 19 July 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Really happy with the baby room and choice of toys/activities. The introduction of new foods has been very helpful and continued at home. Brilliant communication with staff has really put us at ease.
Our daughter has already picked up lots of new sounds.
All positive so far.
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Review from L J (Mother of Child) published on 19 July 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
we are so pleased that we chose St Mary's for our son! The staff are all lovely and our little boy is thriving here.
The menu is great - lots of fresh options.
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Review from Emma R (Mother of Child) published on 10 July 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
St Mary's is a great nursery. My daughter thoroughly enjoys her time there.
Her key worker always makes time to tell me about her day and they have a great relationship.
The rest of the team also make a special effort to say "hi" which is lovely.
All round a fab nursery.
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Review from S P (Mother of Child) published on 10 July 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been at this nursery since she was 9 months old (she is now almost three years).
We have felt supported in relation to our daughter's care but sometimes have felt more formal development was missing.
Having said that the facilities at the nursery are good with regular access to outside
space in all weathers - our daughter particularly enjoys the forest garden and mud kitchens.
Invariably she returns home covered in dirt but with a huge smile on her face.
The biggest test is when we drop her off each morning and she runs to her friends without looking back.
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Review from Will (Father of Child) published on 17 February 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Thank you to the team in the baby room for all they have done for our child. The quality of care has been fantastic from all the team, but obviously, we wanted to thank our child's key worker in particular who has been incredibly kind, caring and supportive. Communication is consistently strong, and
we felt confident that our child was learning and developing. Now on to toddlers...
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Review from Samantha M (Mother of Child) published on 30 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter joined St Mary's at 4 and a half months, as my first child, this was really unsettling for me as I didn't know what to expect. We had 2 of the most amazing key workers in the baby room, my daughter absolutely loved them both and they helped and encouraged her to develop so quickly. She's
now in the toddler room and although I was worried at first, she absolutely loves going to her new room and her new key worker. She always shouts 'yay' when we pull into the car park and she realises where she's going and always runs into the room ready to start her day. I'm very happy with St Mary's and the staff there :)
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Review from Laura (Mother of Child) published on 7 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My son has settled in brilliantly in the baby room. He is coming on so well which is lovely and reassuring to know as a parent and sweet to see. He has a soft spot for two staff! Definitely, put me at ease with returning to work knowing how much fun he was having at the nursery.
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Review from Alexx M (Mother of Child) published on 7 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My son has been at St Mary's since he was 9 months old, he is now almost 4. The Nursery have been excellent at reintegrating him following serious illness and have always been on hand to support him in any way they can. He has thoroughly enjoyed attending and made great progress with the help of staff.
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Review from Michelle E (Mother of Child) published on 7 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have put both our daughters in St Mary's since they were a year old. Our youngest daughter is now in preschool, the eldest is at school. Both girls have loved their time at St Mary's and are given opportunities that other nurseries don't necessarily provide - such as forest school and tiny tigers.
The staff are enthusiastic and both our girls have formed close bonds with their key workers. They are helpful and also happy to advise (if required) on behavioural issues or milestones such as potty training. I think St Mary's also helped build the confidence of our eldest daughter which made the transition to school as smooth as possible. We have recommended St Mary's numerous times.
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Review from BR (Mother of Child) published on 27 October 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Our son joined the baby room at 9 months. There was a clear settling in process and he enjoyed it from the start. The staff were always happy and helpful and there was a good range of food offered throughout the day. When he moved to the toddler room there was a transition period for him to get used
to the new staff and routine and they also helped to introduce us to the new staff and room as well. I would recommend the nursery to others.
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Current Review Score: 9.6 (9.618)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.6 (9.618) out of 10 for Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 18 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.8 out of 5 from 18 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 4.829 for Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool is calculated as follows: ( (180 Excellents x 5) + (35 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 216 Ratings = 4.829
  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 4.789 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool is based on 18 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 114 number of registered child places is 22.8. 18 Positive Reviews ÷ 22.8 = 0.789
  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 (5)

Meet the Team (3)

Gemma

Gemma

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Gemma, the Nursery Manager, began her journey in childcare in 2009 as an unqualified member of the team following a career change. She quickly gained her Level 3 Qualification and worked her way up through the ranks before being promoted to Nursery Manager in July 2019.


Passionate about childcare, Gemma strives to create warm, nurturing, and enabling environments where children can develop and thrive. She feels incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful team at St Mary’s to support her in this mission.


An adrenaline junkie, Gemma loves traveling and embracing adventure, having explored many countries solo. She also has a deep love for Christmas, enjoys a good boxset and is a dedicated foodie.

Sian

Sian

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Sian, the Deputy Manager, has been a dedicated member of St Mary’s since 2012, progressing from apprentice to her current role. She spent many years as the Baby Room Leader and loved every moment of it.


Her passion has always been working with young children, supporting them through their early years, which she believes are the most crucial stages of development. She takes great pride in knowing she has played a part in helping children on their journey.


Outside of work, Sian enjoys visiting different places with her family, going shopping and traveling on holidays. She loves spending time with family and friends, dining out and exploring zoos and museums.

Liene

Liene

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Liene, the Deputy Manager, has been working at St Mary’s since November 2018. She began her journey as a Nursery Assistant, successfully completing her Level 3 qualification before being promoted to Room Leader. After leading the Over Two’s room, where she developed new skills and embraced new challenges, she earned a promotion to Deputy Manager in 2023.


Liene’s favorite aspect of childcare is witnessing children grow and develop, reaching new milestones and building strong bonds with both them and their parents.


Outside of the nursery, she enjoys looking after her nephew, shopping, traveling and socialising with family and friends.

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