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
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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 61-80
Review from Chris (Father of Child) published on 25 October 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son is at St Mary's Pre-school and he absolutely adores his time there. There's a real sense of care and duty amongst the whole team and the relationships he has with the team are very strong and positive. It's great to know every day he's being dropped off in an environment that really looks
after his needs and his development. He is able to get involved in a huge range of activities and at pick up you always get a very thorough understanding of how his day has been. Shame he'll go to real school next year!
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Review from Laura C (Mother of Child) published on 17 October 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been attending St Mary's since September 2015. He settled into the nursery very well, with the nurturing support of the staff team. He has since transitioned very well into pre-school where he is given a stable routine, however, a range of challenging activities to further his development.
The food included is superb and always in line with the season. The children get plenty of opportunities to play outdoors and they also run forest school sessions.


I would recommend this nursery without hesitation.

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Review from Lorraine (Mother of Child) published on 17 October 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at St Marys for 3 years now and we have been very happy with the care and developmental help she has received since being there. She has experienced far more than she would have at home. the feedback and communication we have had from her key workers have been excellent and we always
get the impression they genuinely care about her. In addition, the varied menu allows her to experience a wide variety of foods.
We have been so pleased with the nursery that we have recently enrolled our youngest daughter who has also bonded with her key worker very quickly and easily and really enjoys her time in the baby room.
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Review from Rebecca M (Mother of Child) published on 12 October 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter has always seemed happy at nursery and her key worker in the baby room has been brilliant, they have such a lovely bond. The staff have always been very accommodating for her. The only difficulties we have had have been in relation to organising payments and the complicated process of childcare
vouchers. I think this could be better explained by the nursery. The initial process of chasing the nursery to confirm my daughter's place was also difficult and could be streamlined. However, once in and settled we are pleased with the care provided.
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Review from Claire (Mother of Child) published on 11 October 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at St Mary's Nursery for a year now, and we couldn't be happier with the care she has received. She does far more there than she ever would at home. They spend a lot of time out in the garden which she loves, and lots of creative fun too. The menu is very varied and she has tried
a far bigger range of food than at home. Her key worker has been fantastic, they have a great bond and she is happy to be left in her care.
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Review from Charlotte (Mother of Child) published on 11 October 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Our daughter has recently been under the care of her key worker and in a short space of time built a loving bond with her. Her care worker worked incredibly hard in helping our daughter potty train. Her feedback and communication with us was excellent and really helped support this training at home.
Our daughter is a confident little soul and we believe that this is partly to do with the care given at St Mary's. Thank you.
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Review from Jordane P (Mother of Child) published on 23 September 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
St Mary's is a great place to send your children. My daughter loves coming every day. The communication is excellent. Staff go the extra mile to build relationships with not only the children but the parents. I always have artwork sent home so I can proudly display in my house. My daughter is always
happy and her development has improved so much when first started. She is now talking and walking, clapping. She is encouraged daily on challenging herself. St Mary's always try to do everything they can to make this experience effortless and so comfortable. They are so friendly and welcoming and always have time to talk.
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Review from Sandra S (Mother of Child) published on 22 September 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Our little girl loves going to her nursery, which is the best review! The staff are great, very caring, professional and friendly. The food provided is of very high standard and the staff are also very accommodating with regards to dietary requirements. Children's development and learning is being well
documented and communicated.
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Review from Selina S (Mother of Child) published on 19 September 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
I am pleased with the progress my child has made at nursery. Staff are caring and supportive. No complaints!!
Reply from Marketa Cardon, Bright Horizons Team at Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for your feedback, your views are important to us and we appreciate you're taking the time to share your experiences. However your score in several areas is not positive and I would strongly…read more
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Review from Sabrina (Mother of Child) published on 9 September 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has really excelled at the nursery, her key worker is fantastic and all the girls that work there are really friendly, the children all love them. There is a large variety of activities and the children are encouraged to be outside and explore nature in the garden. The environment is clean,
safe and full of toys and activities for the children. The little ones have a physical playroom that has lots of soft play equipment to encourage their gross motor development safely. Would highly recommend this nursery to everyone!
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Review from Ceri C (Mother of Child) published on 24 May 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son started in the 'Toddlers room' at St Mary's when he was 15 months old and has recently moved up to the 'Over Twos room'. We have been very happy with how the staff have cared for him, especially his two key people who are very enthusiastic and clearly love looking after children. Our son has
really bonded with them too.


Our son has learnt a lot whilst at nursery, and they really helped him to learn to walk and to become more interested in arts and crafts and messy play. He has also become more independent and confident.


The Toddlers room has great indoor and outdoor space, however I have marked facilities/outdoor space as Good as the Over Twos room and garden is fairly small. They do have a lovely wooded/natural area though which they can go to in another part of the nursery grounds, which looks great for learning about the great outdoors.


Overall this is an excellent nursery. We were recommended it by two of our friends and we would definitely recommend it to others.

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Review from Kerry T (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
I would and have recommended St Mary's to others. Both my children love their key people and form real bonds, which is lovely. Their time at nursery really helps with their learning, my 3 year old is always coming out with things he must have learnt at nursery. Things do sometimes go missing, particularly
in the babies room which can be frustrating but understandable - mostly socks! Overall I'm really pleased with all aspects of the nursery, the staff are friendly and helpful.
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Review from Sarah C (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A great nursery. My son has met lots of friends and loves going to nursery, the staff and management are excellent, very kind, caring and understanding. The only down point I had was the garden but that is now being refurbished. It will be a sad day when he has to move on as he loves it and so do we.
Thank you to all the staff at St Mary's Day Nursery, Abingdon.
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Review from S M (Mother of Child) published on 11 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
I visited three to four nurseries in the Abingdon and definitely St Mary's is/was the best. I feel that my son is very happy here and has lots of good friends. I would like to find more support in terms of his language as he is dealing with three languages at same time.
Reply from Marketa Cardon, Bright Horizons Team at Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool
Thank you for your feedback, your views are important to us and we appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences. However your score in several areas is not positive and I would strongly…read more
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Review from G M (Father of Child) published on 11 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Generally a good nursery. My son seems happy and likes his key worker. We've been kept well informed of bumps and accidents and when he's not feeling well.
We're not entirely sure how much he eats because it would be good to know the portion sizes at nursery, but the food sounds varied and interesting.
Sometimes
the office admin seems a bit chaotic and we've had to double check things.
Reply from Marketa Cardon, Bright Horizons Team at Bright Horizons St Mary's Abingdon Day Nursery and Preschool
We really appreciate that you have taken time out to share your feedback, your opinion is very important to us. I am going to share your comments with the Nursery Manager and ask her to speak to you.…read more
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Review from L A (Mother of Child) published on 11 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My son enjoys his time at nursery. The staff are extremely friendly and give a good review of my child's day. My only concern was he is still in the baby room but I know that is down to capacity issues in the toddler room.
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Review from L C (Mother of Child) published on 8 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Both my children have atteneded the above the nursery and currently my little girl is in the toddler room. We are very pleased with the care she receives and she is always happy when we pick her up. They seem to do a variety of activities with her she especially enjoys on playing in the outside garden
and forest school there.
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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son started nursery in November and because of how lovely the staff are very quickly settled. he is a happy boy who loves going to St Mary's and I know he's very loved and safe when I leave him there. The food is excellent and he always enjoys dinner time. I would definitely recommend the nursery
to friends and colleagues.
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Review from K P (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
St Mary's is a brilliant nursery, since my child joined the nursery her development has come a long way and I have noticed a huge difference in her speech. My child loves coming and has made so many new friendships. All the staff are great, polite and provide excellent care towards all the children.
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Review from M B (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent nursery. Induction was brilliant when my daughter first started. Daily feedback on my daughters progress/development excellent. Key worker always willing to talk and take on board parental concerns. Overall extremely pleased with the nursery for my first child. Friendly and extremely helpful
staff. Safe environment and clean.
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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.