Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool

STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot OX11 0QX
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8.5 70 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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Care Provided by Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • 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 (70)

Total of 70, showing 1-20
8.5

Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool has a Review Score of 8.5 (8.528) out of 10, based on 7 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool has 70 reviews.

Overall Experience

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Review from Rebecca H (Mother of Child) published on 23 January 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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 and informed about your children's activities.


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Review from Ali H (Father of Child) published on 3 October 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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  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  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 share further details of your experience please email ukcomplaints@brighthorizons.com


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Review from M Z (Mother of Child) published on 26 August 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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  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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Review from Hayley C (Mother of Child) published on 25 February 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both my children attend Little Stars and absolutely love it.
I can't speak highly enough of the staff and the care they provide for the children.
I'm always impressed with the range of activities and food available.
Throughout the pandemic, I believe the Little Stars management have worked very hard
to ensure every one is as safe as possible.
I'm so pleased my children are able to attend and benefit hugely from Little Stars.

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Review from Jessica F (Mother of Child) published on 16 December 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Great nursery, really great team and staff. Are so great with my little girl and go the extra mile with helping her. She loves her time at nursery so much and talks about it non stop. Great variety of activities that they do and a great variety of food for her as well.

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Review from Fiona O (Mother of Child) published on 7 December 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The caters at the nursery are so considerate and engaged with the children and their families. My little one loves going and always learns so much there through play. They have been super organised over COVID arrangements and safety, and I’m always 100% certain that everything is being done to the highest
standard.

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Review from Harry M (Father of Child) published on 23 November 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter goes to Little Stars and absolutely loves it. The staff are all really friendly and the communication with what they have been doing in the day is brilliant.
The range of food that they supply for lunches and break times is very good also. I would recommend Little Stars to anybody.

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Review from Victoria B (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our 2-year-old is very happy at Little Stars and learns new things every day she is there. She loves the staff in her room, and they do a lot of fun activities; that we don't do at home. There is a warm and friendly atmosphere between staff as well.

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Review from David W (Father of Child) published on 21 January 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

An excellent nursery with wonderful, friendly staff. My older son was here for three years, and my younger son has been here for another two and counting. We have never had anything other than excellent care here.

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Review from Carolyn S (Mother of Child) published on 20 December 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

It is a year since my daughter started at Little Stars and she has thrived. She loves going in every day and enjoys all the activities available to her. She has developed excellent relationships with the staff who clearly care for the children they work with.

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Review from J B (Mother of Child) published on 27 August 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter has attended Little Stars for nearly four years and has recently left to start school. She has loved her time at the nursery and they have done so much to help her develop. We have been happy with each of the rooms she has been in and all of the staff have been so kind and caring. They
do so many activities with the children and have a brilliant garden so they get lots of fresh air. The nursery have put a lot of work into preparing our daughter for school and putting on a lovely graduation ceremony. It is a wonderful place to send your children and I would thoroughly recommend it.

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Review from Thomas B (Father of Child) published on 24 May 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has been at Little Stars for a couple of months now and loves it. From the start the staff have been really supportive and caring, making him feel comfortable and helping him settle. He's always happy to see them in the morning. We get plenty of information on how his days have been and our
request for using reusable nappies was accepted immediately, in fact, the staff are used to this and so we didn't have to provide any additional information.


I cannot speak highly enough of Little Stars and am so pleased that our son is in such a welcoming place.


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Current Review Score: 8.5 (8.528)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.5 (8.528) 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.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.5 out of 5 from 7 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.1 out of 5 from 6 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:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.452 for Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool is calculated as follows: ( (68 Excellents x 5) + (3 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) + (7 Poors x 2) + (5 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 84 Ratings = 4.452

  • b) 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 4.076 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Bright Horizons Little Stars Nursery and Preschool is based on 6 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 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 = 3.6

    • ii) 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. 6 Positive Reviews ÷ 12.6 = 0.476

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • 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

Awards / Recognitions (4)

Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2019

Recipient: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd

Date: Tuesday 30 Apr 2019 More details

Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2018

Recipient: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd

Date: Thursday 01 Mar 2018 More details

Top 10 Large Nursery Groups 2017

Recipient: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd

Date: Wednesday 01 Mar 2017 More details

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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 a Platinum Service – more info.