About Bright Little Stars

• Opening Times

  We are open Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 6:00pm, 50 weeks per year excluding Bank Holidays for children aged 6 months to 5 years.

  Our sessions comprise of a choice between part-time or full-time discounted care.

  Morning sessions run from 8:00am to 1:00pm.

  Afternoon sessions are from 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

  Children can be dropped off and/or picked up anytime within their relevant session time; within our Supernova Learning Room we do aim to begin our ‘Teaching Time’ at around 9:00am.

• Safety & Security

  The safety and security of your child is as paramount to us as it is to you. We have installed a full security system using the latest CCTV and a secure entry/exit system with direct links to the emergency services to ensure the safety and security of all children in our care. Our premises are secure, we operate fingerprint I.D. access at all our Nurseries to help ensure only parents or authorised individuals enter. We ask for file photos of anyone with permission to collect a child and photo identification will be requested before a child can be signed out of the Nursery.

  We keep our records up-to-date so we are always able to contact parents or their alternative designated contact in an emergency. We insist all our staff undergo the highest level of rigorous safer recruitment and DBS checks when they join our team. Our staff are trained in vital security procedures, first aid and emergencies and this is maintained through regular training.  All visitors are required to sign-in and out at reception.

• Our Learning Programme

  

  At Bright Little Stars we recognise that children’s all round growth and development requires the careful construction of a learning programme and environment which fulfils the needs of the ‘whole child’.

  The foundation of our curriculum has been set by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework. Our unique Learning Programme aims to challenge children’s thinking and allows children to reach their full potential.

  The Bright Little Stars Learning Programme incorporates Mathematics, Literacy, Science and Outdoor Exploration, Culture and Geography, ICT, Young Mindfulness and an exciting range of Extra-Curricular Clubs.

  We begin by nurturing babies, teaching them to learn through their senses, explore and provide them with independent access to resources. This enables babies to gain confidence, independence and a sense of themselves allowing them to become self-motivated to learn.

  We move on to promoting courteous social skills for toddlers, reinforcing positive behaviours and supporting them to understand their feelings and communicate their needs.

  Children are later prepared for school through a more adult led style of teaching.

• Partnership with Parents

  Bright Little Stars Nursery endeavours to continually work in partnership with parents and carers and sees them as the child’s first and most enduring educators. It is known that what parents do at home with young children has the greatest impact on a child’s social, emotional and intellectual development.

  Settling Sessions

  Once a child has a place confirmed at Bright Little Stars, settling sessions will be arranged to ensure that each child feels support the smooth transition into nursery life prior to starting nursery. Three settling sessions are required, typically the week before the official start date.

  To enable us to focus the nursery experiences around your child as an individual when settling or transitioning to another room parents are required to share valuable information about their child, for example, what is special to them, favourite activities and personal needs, including medical, feeding and sleep patterns.

  Parent Educational Programme

  Our extensive complimentary monthly workshop program supports parents in meeting all the needs of their children and provides a complete holistic approach to benefit their family’s well-being. The program is complimentary and includes a variety of internal and external highly trained speakers and professionals. As a parent you will have the opportunity to attend interactive workshops which include specialist Paediatric First Aid, Mindful Parenting, Nutrition, Sleep, Schools Information and Applications, School Ready?, Mathematics, Phonics and Home Learning. For further information, please click here.

  Partnership Opportunities

  We are excited to be able to hold regular Parent Involvement sessions.  The events provide valuable insight into the ongoing development of the Nurseries, suggesting new ideas to ensure we maintain high quality standards, for example our pedestrian crossing at our nursery in Mill Hill and Complimentary Parent Paediatric First Aid across the group.

  In addition to these clubs there are further opportunities for involvement such as: Stay and Play groups to support separation anxiety, Annual Festive Events, Graduation for our Supernova children, Grandparents’ Tea, Fundraising Events and more.

  Learning Journey and EyLog Parent App

  Bright Little Stars are committed to creating a strong partnership with parents. The EyLog Parent App enables the nursery and parents to communicate with one another easily and efficiently while providing a range of useful features.

  Learning Journey: Regular observations and pictures of your child and their progress.

  Observations: The opportunity for parents to share observations/ pictures of their children in their home environment.

  Daily Diary: Information regarding your child’s food intake, nappies, sleep and milk feeds. This information is sent out each day at the end of your child’s session. Please use the Daily Diary comments section to communicate directly with your child’s base room.

  Invoices: All invoices are sent through the Parent App

  Messages: Correspondence from the nursery will be sent here once your child starts (not via email). Please use the messages function to contact the senior leadership team (the manager, deputies, and administrator) if required.

  Bookings: This page allows you to see your child’s schedule and request an extra (one-off) session (this is based on room availability that day)

  Resources/ Documents: Important Diary Dates including our parent involvement sessions and nursery closures. Extra-Curricular Timetable Frequently used policies including medicine, exclusion periods for illnesses and babysitting Information about uniform Menus Reminder of the Parent Area password

  Parent Portal

  We are delighted to be offering the services of a Parent Portal, via a smart phone or web log in, which allows you to see a timeline of your child’s activities and learning journey with us in real time, account balances, a diary of all sessions booked (both permanent and extra sessions) and the ability to update any important information for your child such as allergies, medication, illnesses, permissions and contact details.

  Parent Area

  We enjoy sharing our children’s activities and learning. Please visit our Parent Area for the latest nursery news and events. This area is only for current parents/guardians and is password protected for security.

  The information contained within the Parent Area includes: Home Learning which offers an array of day-to-day activity suggestions for you to continue supporting your child’s learning at home along with handy tips for frequently asked questions, key Policies and procedures which can be downloaded for future reference and service providers for information on the key organisations we use to enhance and support the services we offer at Bright Little Stars.

  Parent Consultations

  Parent consultations are held regularly, for you to meet with your child’s key staff and to discuss your child’s development in more detail.

  Parent Feedback

  We value your feedback on how the nursery is performing and your child’s progress; we operate an open-door policy on a daily basis for general comments and suggestions as well as issuing a formal Annual Parent Survey.  In addition, we welcome parents to leave online reviews – guidance of how to do this can be found in the secure Parent Area.

• ParentCam

  We have installed ParentCam to provide parents with children enrolled at the setting the opportunity to ‘drop in’ via a secure webcam facility. This allows you to stay closer to your child, see for yourself how happy your child is at Nursery and to be more involved in your child’s daily activities.

At Bright Little Stars Nursery, children come first. We pride ourselves in having a high quality team who are dedicated, committed and work together to provide a warm, welcoming, safe and stimulating environment. All our staff are recruited based on their qualifications, experience and commitment to the children in their care. We take the responsibility of keeping our children safe very seriously and we adhere to the CWDC’s Safer Recruitment guidelines every time we recruit a new member to join our team.

All those who work with young children will have passed an enhanced DBS check as the safeguarding of all children is very stringent within our setting. Staff undergo an induction period and regularly attend courses provided internally and externally by local authority and by Early Years Teams as well as internal training through Early Years Consultants. This helps them to develop knowledge and skills and to facilitate their career progression as well as keeping up to date with childcare changes. All our staff receive training in Safeguarding and Child Protection, First Aid, Food Hygiene, Behaviour Management and Risk Assessment.

Our staff team comprises of Directors, Nursery Managers, Deputy Managers, Qualified Teachers, Room Leaders, Senior Nursery Educators, Nursery Educators, Nursery Assistants, Lunch-Time Cover Assistants, Apprentices, as well as general support staff including a Nursery Administrator, On-Site Chef and Cleaners. For more detailed information, please see our Staff Team Board in our Nursery Reception.

Mandy Guttadauro

Operations Director

Mandy Guttadauro is the Operations Director of the Bright Little Stars Group. Mandy was previously the Area Manager for the group and Nursery Manager at our first Nursery in Mill Hill.  She brings over 20 years’ experience in Early Years working as a manager of nursery and pre-school settings. Mandy is also a Qualified Freelance Ofsted Inspector and a graduate having completed both the Early Years Professional Status and a BA Honours Degree in Early Childhood Studies. As Operations Director Mandy continues to up skill in order to develop the work force, Mandy attends regional industry specific events and is also a trained Project Manager.
She is enthusiastic about using all her training and experiences to keep Bright Little Stars continuously developing and of a high standard.

Mandy is proud to oversee a very talented, well-trained and passionate growing staff team at Bright Little Stars Nursery. Seeing children happy and knowing that the staff team have influenced their learning and development is Mandy’s greatest reward.

Providing children with rich learning experiences is central to Mandy’s approach and she believes in making a positive educational influence on each and every child attending Bright Little Stars Nursery. Her dedicated approach has seen her consistently raise standards and improve the Ofsted grading in all the nurseries that she has managed.

Kelly Dunn

Area Manager

Kelly Dunn is the Area Manager of the Bright Little Stars Group. Having progressed her career within the Early Years sector for over 25 years’, Kelly has held various roles ranging from Nursery Practitioner to Senior Nursery Manager.  During her time as a Nursery Manager, Kelly led her team to achieve and maintain three consecutive Outstanding grades from Ofsted – this she believes was aided through a reflective practice approach and a willingness to make continuous improvements for children.  Kelly is keen to develop her own skills and knowledge is a First-Class BA Honours Graduate with a Degree in Early Years Professional Practice.

In addition to leading and managing Day Nurseries, Kelly also has 3 years’ experience lecturing Early Years Foundation and Honours Degrees for Anglia Ruskin University.  Kelly believes that every child deserves to receive the very best start in life and is delighted to be working with like-minded professionals who share the same aspirations and the desire to make a difference to the children we have the privilege to care for.

Nicola Freeman

Area Manager

Nicola Freeman is the Area Manager of the Bright Little Stars Group. Nicola brings over 25 years’ experience in the Early Years industry, qualifying with her NNEB diploma in 1995. Nicola has worked in a variety of roles with over 16 years being in a managerial role and has always had a passion for caring for children.

Nicola has been with Bright Little Stars since December 2015, opening Watford in March 2016 and being the driving force behind its success with her inspiration, passion and determination resulting in the ‘Outstanding’ rating. Nicola prides herself in providing the best possible experiences for children and is proud to share her track record of achieving four ‘Outstanding’ inspections in 10 years; this passion will be shared across the Bright Little Stars Group to continue the level of service we promises to provide parents and children.

Nicola believes in promoting a high-quality Early Years’ experience and ensuring every child is treated as an individual enabling them to develop to their full potential. Nicola has developed her team to ensure career progression and is very proud of all of the staff achievements over the years.

 

Gill Baldemor

Head of Teaching and School Relationships

Gill Baldemor is the Head of Teaching and School Relationships of the Bright Little Stars Group. Gill’s in-depth knowledge of schools and the Early Years Foundation Stage brings a wealth of expertise and ideas that she is eager to share with Bright Little Stars practitioners, children and parents.

Having graduated with a BA Hons degree, Gill went on to gain qualified teacher status by studying for a Postgraduate Certificate of Education in 2006. Gill brings over a decade of experience as a qualified teacher in nurseries but also primary schools where Gill was the Foundation Stage Leader, RE Co-ordinator and Modern Foreign Language Co-ordinator alongside her role as a class teacher.  Using this experience and her own attendance at a prestigious private girls’ school from ages 7 to 18, Gill works closely with potential schools and supports parents in choosing the most appropriate school for their child. This is achieved through workshops, personal conversation and the sharing of information that helps prepare both the child and the parent for this important next step.

Gill assists our learning room practitioners to provide the best possible learning experience and to ensure they are ‘school ready’ when it’s time to move on. Gill is particularly keen to give parents the skills and confidence in supporting their child’s learning at home with the aim of working together to give their child the best possible preparation for ‘Big School’.

Emily Stoker

Recruitment Manager

Emily Stoker is the Recruitment Manager for the Bright Little Stars Group. Emily has 12 years of experience in childcare, with almost 10 of those years being part of the Bright Little Stars Family. She first joined us in 2013 as a Room Leader progressing all the way up to Nursery Manager at our Harrow branch. We are delighted to welcome Emily back from maternity leave as our Recruitment Manager. Emily’s unique experience and insight into Bright Little Stars makes her the perfect candidate for this role.

Emily is Level 4 qualified in Early Years Practice as well as the Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Care. Emily has brought dedication, passion and a drive to promote outstanding care standards to Bright Little Stars. She is an example of the career progression available here to talented and enthusiastic individuals.

Emily prides herself on growing a strong team and focuses on improving and developing the children’s learning. She has the dedication and passion to recruit skilled and driven Nursery Educators to join the Bright Little Stars Family.

Tabish Mansoor

Recruitment Manager

Tabish Mansoor works alongside Emily as the Recruitment manager for Bright Little Stars. She has 10 years of experience in the Early Years Industry bringing a vast amount of experience.

Tabish holds a level 6 in Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) and began her career as an Early Years Teacher abroad where she progressed into her managerial role.

From there, Tabish worked in a variety of settings including a school, a children’s centre, and then a Nursery which then brought her journey to us at Bright Little Stars after completing her degree in Business Management and Human Resources.
Tabish believes every child deserves the best start in life and is passionate about growing the right people to do this.

Sarah Parrin

Head of Marketing

Sarah is the Head of Marketing for the Bright Little Stars Group. Sarah has been working in a variety of marketing roles within the childcare sector since graduating from university in 2015. Her career began as a Marketing Assistant for a small group of nurseries where her passion for advertising and childcare flourished.

Her marketing journey then progressed to working for the biggest childcare group in the UK as a Regional Marketing Executive followed by becoming a Marketing Manager.

Sarah utilises her vast amount of experience and knowledge within the childcare sector to lead the marketing for Bright Little Stars.

Having a strong passion for digital and traditional marketing enables her to strengthen the brand while showcasing the outstanding childcare we provide each and every child in our care.

 

Karma Kaur

Nursery Manager, Barnet

Karma is the Nursery Manager at our Barnet Nursery. Karma has over 15 years’ experience working in early years, having started her career at a Montessori Nursery. Karma has worked as Nursery Manager at 3 of the Bright Little Stars Nurseries.

She holds a Level 3 Qualification in Early Childcare and also a Level 2 in British Sign Language. She is passionate about the development of children and believes that creating a safe and fun environment ensures that every child reaches their full potential. Karma has excellent communication skills and is keen on sharing her skills and experience with her team to support them to provide a high level of care and education for the children.

Karma loves the outdoors and is interested in incorporating a Forest School Approach where children can learn through their own experiences in the world around them. Being a parent herself, Karma understands the worries and concerns that parents have regarding the care of their little ones; she has a very warm and approachable manner.

To find out more about Barnet, please visit our Barnet page.

Wendy Gore

Senior Nursery Manager, Harrow

Wendy Gore is the Senior Nursery Manager at Bright Little Stars.  Wendy is the Nursery Manager at our Harrow branch and is also currently working alongside the Stratford team.  Wendy has over 10 years’ experience working in the Early Years sector, having qualified with a Diploma in Childcare and Education and a Level 3 in the Principles of Management. Over the years, Wendy has worked in a number of different roles across nurseries and for the last 4 years in a managerial role.

Wendy thrives in a busy environment and is passionate about ensuring the children and her staff team reach their full potential. She has excellent communication skills and the ability to motivate and encourage staff as well as being very approachable and welcoming. Wendy actively promotes a safe and exciting environment where children can grow, learn and be happy. Wendy has always worked within the Early Years sector and believes it is the most rewarding job where there is nothing better than watching children overcome hurdles, build their personalities and watch them thrive.

To find out more about Harrow, please visit our Harrow page.

Ruby Tilley

Nursery Manager, Stanmore

Ruby Tilley is the Nursery Manager at our Stanmore Nursery. Ruby has over 9 years of experience working in the Early Years sector and holds a Cache Level 3 in Childcare and Development. Ruby has had exceptional career growth at Bright Little Stars, starting her journey with us in 2013 as a Nursery Educator at Mill Hill. She was promoted to Room Leader and then progressed her career, in 2016, to Second Deputy Manager in our Watford branch. In 2017, Ruby was the opening Supernumerary Deputy Manager at Bright Little Stars Stanmore and in 2021 was Acting Nursery Manager at Bright Little Stars Barnet. Ruby played an integral role in Bright Little Stars Stanmore’s first Ofsted inspection, where they achieved Outstanding.

Ruby specialises in working to support children with special educational needs. She has a Diploma in Speech and Language and is the Group SEND Lead for Bright Little Stars.

Ruby takes pride in ensuring children leave her care having the greatest opportunities to shape their very own personalities. Teaching independence, the ability to make choices, life skills, and fun comes naturally to Ruby. Ruby also strives to ensure children’s well-being is given the utmost importance in everyday practice.

To find out more about Barnet, please visit our Stanmore page.

Elaine Dann

Nursery Manager, Mill Hill

Elaine Dann is the Nursery Manager at our Mill Hill Nursery.  Elaine has over 21 years’ experience within the childcare industry, 7 of these being in an Early Years setting.  She holds a Level 4 Certificate in Early Years Practice.  Elaine has vast experience leading and managing large teams and growing nurseries from opening to full capacity.

Elaine is dedicated about her work in Early Years and strives to provide the best learning opportunities for all children, she believes in teaching resilience and independence by offering experiences that are unique to each child. Elaine is keen for children to develop their knowledge of the world we live in through allowing them to explore their local environment and community.

Elaine is experienced in inspiring her team to enhance their skills through providing support and knowledge in a safe and stimulating way, this she knows further enriches the high-level teaching offered to the little ones she is lucky to have in her care.

To find out more about Mill Hill, please visit our Mill Hill page.

Hollie Geddis

Nursery Manager, Stratford

Hollie is the Nursery Manager at our Stratford Nursery. She holds a BA Honours degree in Childhood Studies and has extensive years’ experience in managing Nurseries and childcare settings across the world, including China, Switzerland, and the Maldives as well as in central London.

In total, Hollie has worked in the childcare industry for over 22 years. Hollie is also a qualified Early Years assessor and has a passion for driving her staff team forward within their professional development.

To find out more about Stratford, please visit our Stratford page.

Emily Cooper

Nursery Manager, Watford

Emily is the Nursery Manager at our Watford Nursery. Emily has been a part of the Watford team since it opened in March 2016, contributing towards the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ grading in 2018. Emily has a Cache Level 3 qualification in children and young people’s workforce, using her knowledge and passion to develop her career and achieve several promotions at Bright Little Stars, starting as Senior Nursery Educator and progressing to her current role as Nursery Manager at Watford.

With over 12 years’ experience in various childcare settings and 4 years in a managerial position, Emily prides herself on her role modelling skills; incorporating a child focused approach to support her team and keep morale high to provide a fun, warm and nurturing environment for all children to learn and grow.

Emily has strong motivation and dedication to succeed in all that she sets out to achieve, empowering and inspiring the Watford team to achieve high standards of quality care for all children that attend Bright Little Stars.

To find out more about Watford, please visit our Watford page.

We have specially designed bright learning rooms featuring plenty of natural light with modern facilities and carefully selected resourced suited to each particular age group. Your child will be allocated a Key Person who will work in partnership with you and support your child’s well-being from the very beginning.

Children move up to the next room when they are ready based on their individual needs.

Baby Room

Our Baby Rooms are specially designed to allow our littlest ones to move around safely in a clean and caring environment. We operate a strict no outdoor shoe policy in this room. The rooms are built as independent units of their own, featuring a milk kitchen and separate sleep area.

We are sensitive and respect that young babies and pre-toddlers have their own routines so we base care plans around their individual needs and we try to follow any routines that you have established at home.

Young babies and pre-toddlers have designated areas for exploration and learning. We provide them with stimulating experiences, activities and choice to promote their well-being and development.

Toddler Room

Each Toddler Room caters separately for confident walkers, pre-toddlers and rising pre-school children. Rooms are carefully planned to support toilet training with intimate care and child-sized bathroom areas.

This is an exciting time of exploration and discovery. We work on developing their physical skills and intellectual abilities. We encourage children to gain independence through making choices and children have free access to a variety of resources and interactive LCD computer screens.

It is during this Toddler stage that the Learning Programme fully unfolds.

Pre-School Room

This is where preparation for school takes place and a variation of school style learning begins. We recognise the importance of your child’s all-round development and promote their social, emotional, intellectual, physical and language skills.

A programme of learning is incorporated in preparation for their transition from nursery to school. We provide a ‘School Day’ within the nursery day that includes; whole group teaching sessions, adult-led group learning and periods of child-initiated learning. Children enjoy learning indoors and outdoors of the learning room and wear a simple and comfortable uniform.

When the times comes, we are here to support your school choices and your child’s transition to ‘big’ school.

• A Typical Day in the Baby and Toddler Rooms

  A typical day is packed with plenty of learning and fun including freshly prepared meals/snacks, our unique learning programme and an exciting range of extra-curricular activities as part of our all-inclusive approach and fees.

  Breakfast

  The children are welcomed warmly and settle in to have breakfast.

  Morning Activities

  The learning room is carefully planned and set up to provide a variety of possible learning experiences and to meet a number of learning objectives. Activities involve language groups, messy and maluable play, story times, role play, heuristic and sensory exploration, science experiments, physical activities and extra-curricular sessions both indoors and out.

  A range of large group and small key person time takes place, both adult led and child-initiated, planned for individually and as groups.

  Babies have the opportunity to sleep within a designated sleep area according to their individual routines.

  Snack Time

  We have open access water stations for older children and younger children are offered water from individual water beakers throughout the day.

  Snack times are social times and opportunities for learning and the promotion of social skills. Therefore snack times are held in a variety of ways including self-serve and preparation snack times, rolling snack times and canteen style snack times. Babies under one years old are served organic snacks.

  Lunch

  A hot two-course, home-made lunch, prepared by our qualified on-site chef. Lunch times are also social times, therefore children learn to lay the table, practice good table manners and handle their cutlery correctly.

  Rest Time

  Babies and Toddlers take a nap after lunch, while older children choose to have quiet time or a rest.

  1:00pm

  The morning session ends and children are collected as the afternoon session begins and children are dropped into nursery for an afternoon session.

  Snack Time

  Children who are waking up are offered a drink and small snack and the afternoon children that have just arrived join in too for this snack.

  Afternoon Activities

  The learning room is carefully planned and set up to provide a variety of possible learning experiences and to meet a number of learning objectives. Activities involve language groups, messy and maluable play, story times, role play, heuristic and sensory exploration, science experiments, physical activities and extra-curricular sessions both indoors and out.

  A range of large group and small key person time takes place, both adult led and child-initiated, planned for individually and as groups.

  Babies have the opportunity to sleep within a designated sleep area according to their individual routines.

  Afternoon Tea

  A two-course, home-made afternoon tea prepared by our qualified on-site chef. Tea times are also social times, therefore children learn to lay the table, practice good table manners and handle their cutlery correctly.

  Home Time

  Feedback is given to each parent/carer at collection time. You can also use this time to catch up with their Key Person.

• A Typical Day in Pre-School

  A typical day in Supernova is packed with plenty of learning and fun, including freshly prepared meals/snacks, our unique learning programme and an exciting range of extra-curricular activities as part of our all-inclusive approach and fees.

  Breakfast

  The children are welcomed warmly and settle in to have breakfast. Once finished they are able to access a variety of prepared activities that include skills to support their fine motor abilities.

  9am

  The ‘School Morning Session’

  Either as a whole group or split, children have a focussed teaching session led by a qualified pre-school educator. This learning is then re-enforced by small group adult-led activities, based around their stage of development. Following this dedicated time, children initiate their own learning, by engaging with carefully planned and set up resources that provide a variety of possible learning experiences and meet a number of learning objectives.

  Activities involve all of the room and encompass all areas of learning, including our bespoke learning programme. They incorporate: messy and malleable play,
  water, sand, role-play, science experiments, physical activities and life-skills. Rolling snack is available during this time. Children tidy-up their environment and then come together to enjoy singing and story time, at which point the ‘School Morning’ ends.

  Extracurricular Activities

  Children then have the opportunity to participate in an extra-curricular activity or further child-initiated learning.

  Lunch

  A hot two-course, home-made lunch, prepared by our qualified on-site chef. Lunch times are also social times, therefore children learn to lay the table, practise good table manners and handle their cutlery correctly.

  Quiet Time

  Following lunch, children are offered quiet activities prior to having access to the outdoor learning environment. Those who still require a short sleep, are given the opportunity to do so.

  1:00pm

  For those children not attending for a full day, the morning session ends and they are collected as the afternoon session children are dropped into nursery.

  1.45pm

  The ‘School Afternoon Session’

  This mirrors the ‘School Morning’ in routine and also ensures children only attending in the afternoon, receive the learning opportunities that were provided in the morning.

  3.30pm Afternoon Tea

  A two-course, home-made afternoon tea prepared by our qualified on-site chef. Tea times are also social times, therefore children learn to lay the table, practise good table manners and handle their cutlery correctly. This denotes the end of the ‘School Afternoon’.

  Extracurricular Activities

  and Home Time

  Children are offered a range of further learning opportunities. These include: extra-curricular activities, access to the outdoor environment, movement and dance, singing and story time. Feed-back is given to each parent/carer at collection time. You can also use this time to catch up with their Key Person.

  Home Learning

  By accessing the Home Learning Tab in the Parent area, parents have a wealth of ideas to help them further their child’s learning. This includes guidance and resources on teaching phonics and letter formation, maths and number formation. It details opportunities in daily life that provide learning across all seven areas of the EYFS.

• Large Outdoor Play Areas

  Children thrive with outdoor play and this is why all our settings include large outdoor play areas.

  We have introduced custom designed outdoor activity centres in to our settings. Created by award winning experts – Community Playthings, our wooden, hand-crafted outdoor play equipment is used for climbing, creative and imaginative play, all in safe and secure environments.

  

   

   

   

   

  As well as children’s climbing walls and role play areas such as mud kitchens, our outdoor activity centres includes soft rubber flooring, unique music areas, fun water walls plus lots more for the children to entertain themselves.

  We are also introducing natural, sensory areas where children can water plants and see them grow!

  Outdoor activities improve children’s physical health, emotional, social and cognitive development and we are proud to offer such excellent facilities made from natural resources.

At Bright Little Stars we are committed to providing your little ones with healthy and wholesome food freshly prepared by our onsite chefs. Research shows that nutritious meals improve a child’s concentration and will support them at Nursery with all the energy they will need for a busy day of play, learning and development.

Our bespoke innovative menus have been developed in partnership with and analysed by our chosen qualified registered Nutritionist, Ester Donoff (BSc Hons, MSc, mBANT).

We have also incorporated feedback from our parents via our Annual Parent Surveys, popular choices of the children and input from our highly trained kitchen staff. We have four weekly rotational menus for every season allowing children to taste a wide variety of foods whilst keeping them excited about meal times and support positive associations with food and healthy choices. Each meal has a vegetarian option, all allergens highlighted and is accompanied by a detailed nutritional breakdown for parents to view on our online parent portal. Copies of our current menus are available in the Nursery Reception and our daily menu is on display in the rooms.

We introduce children to growing and eating a wide variety of foods and we encourage parents to get involved in cooking activities at home and at Nursery. Mealtimes are fun and an opportunity to learn. The children are supported with eating where necessary, yet given full encouragement to be as independent as possible.

We promote good table manners so that children quickly grasp key skills and food etiquette for example washing hands, setting the table, serving themselves, sharing conversation and clearing away afterwards.

Bright Little Stars offers breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, afternoon tea and a late snack. The cost of this is included in our fees. Children’s routines can be found within our ‘Typical Day’ area.

If your child has any special dietary needs based on medical/allergy conditions, religious or cultural requirements, please just let us know and we will be happy to discuss this with you and accommodate your child’s individual needs.

We are fully committed to promoting high standards of oral health by means of educating our staff, families, and children through fun educational creative play opportunities throughout our nurseries.

Bright Little Stars Nursery in Stratford has recieved its Oral Health Gold Award.

To achieve our Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards we have successfully shown commitment to improving the oral health of children in London by:

• Hosting parent workshops
• Hosting children’s workshops
• Supporting children in their toothbrushing including at the nurseries
• Participating in staff training
• Nominating our own Oral Health Champion

To continue our support of oral hygiene, we are delighted to work in partnership with Dr Saul Konviser, a Qualified Dentist and Trustee of the Dental Wellness Trust charity. The dental charity promotes oral health to children and Saul oversees the development and roll-out of supervised toothbrushing programmes in schools across England.

As well as training staff and visiting our nurseries to inform children about how to keep teeth clean, he also hosts Oral Hygiene sessions which form part of our Parent Educational Program. The aim of the workshop is to support children by promoting good oral health.

Oral Hygiene is part of our Educational Program and was featured on the ITV News – 13.04.22.

• Supporting Barnardo’s

  Bright Little Stars Nursery is committed to supporting the local community. In particular, we believe in children and helping every child reach their full potential. Barnardo’s shares our values and work to improve the lives of vulnerable children and young people across the UK which is also a cause close to our hearts. We welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with Barnardo’s, one of the UK’s leading children’s charities.

  A message from Barnardo’s: ‘Barnardo’s believes in children regardless of their circumstances, gender, race, disability or behaviour. Our purpose as a charity today is to transform the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children. We believe in the abused, the most vulnerable, the forgotten and the neglected. We will support them, stand up for them and bring out the best in each and every child. We do this because we believe that every child deserves the best start in life and the chance to fulfil their potential.’

  For further information on Barnardo’s and to keep up to date on news and events please visit their website www.barnardos.org.uk

  Fundraising & Events

  Bright Little Stars Nursery invites you to join us in supporting Barnardo’s, such a worthy cause. We will be taking part in a variety of events throughout the year to fundraise for Barnardo’s, such as ‘The Big Toddle’ which is the UK’s biggest under 5’s charity event as well as many other initiatives which will also give our children, parents/carers and staff members the opportunity to join in.

  ‘Like’ us on Facebook and ‘Follow’ us on Instagram  and Twitter  to keep up to date on all our news and fundraising events.

  Donations & Our JustGiving Bright Little Stars Nursery Page

  Your donations can help Barnardo’s to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children across the UK through the work of their services, campaigning and research expertise.

  Bright Little Stars Nursery pledges to match donations made by our parents/carers, friends, family and staff members for specific Bright Little Stars fundraising events up to a maximum of £1,000.00 per event, therefore every £1.00 donated will be worth £2.00 to Barnardo’s.

  If you would like to make a donation, it will be much appreciated. Feel free to pop in and see us to enquire how you can donate. Alternatively, you are welcome to make a donation through JustGiving which is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they will send your money directly to Barnardo’s. Please visit our Bright Little Stars Nursery JustGiving Team Page at https://www.justgiving.com/teams/BLSNursery to make an online donation.

  Thank you!

  We would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all our parents/carers, staff members and everyone else for all your support to date.

  Let’s work together to better the lives of vulnerable children and young people across the UK.

  Look at how much we have raised so far!

• Make a Wish

  Make a Wish is a leading UK children’s charity which grants magical wishes to enrich the lives of children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions.  The wishes are varied but are all personal to each child; it could be starring in their own film, walking with dinosaurs, going on an amazing holiday, meeting a celebrity or even their favourite superhero.

  At the Bright Little Stars 2019 Group Christmas Party, our wonderful staff team raised an incredible £3,020 which meant we were able to support TWO children’s wishes through the Make a Wish foundation. We sponsored Amber, a little girl aged 3 with a heart condition who wished to go on holiday to Europe and Mason who will have a limousine collect him from home, take him to meet Dan TDM the Youtuber for some activities and enjoy a meal in London with his family.

   

   

   

  

  At the Bright Little Stars 2018 Group Christmas Party, our awesome staff team raised £2,095 to support a child’s wish through the Make a Wish foundation. This year, the wish sponsored was for Tommy (aged 8) to go on an exciting holiday to Disneyland Paris. We are beyond delighted that through the generosity of the Bright Little Stars staff team, we were able to wholly donate 100% of the cost of the entire wish. We truly hope that Tommy and his family were able to have a magical time and create some very special memories.

   

  At the Bright Little Stars 2017 Group Christmas Party, the amazing staff team raised £2,125 to support a child’s wish through the Make a Wish foundation. The wish sponsored was for Michael (aged 13) to see the Northern Lights. Through the generosity of our Bright Little Stars staff team, 65% of the cost of the entire wish was donated and it was not long before Michael was off to meet huskies, go on a snowmobile safari and sleep under the stars in a magical wilderness hotel whilst sharing this magical experience with his loved ones.

• Special Events

  We are delighted to share our Special Events and would like to extend our thanks to our visitors for taking the time to visit and support us.

  The children and staff were excited to meet you and we really enjoyed showing you our unique facilities and learning programme.

  
  
  

  Mike Freer, MP for Finchley and Golders Green at BLS Mill Hill 14.10.2013

  
  
  

  The Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP and Cabinet Minister at BLS Mill Hill 14.11.2014

  
  
  

  Celebrating an Outstanding in all areas grade from Ofsted at BLS Mill Hill 04.01.2017

  
  
  

  The Mayor of Harrow, Cllr Rekha Shah at the Grand Opening of BLS Harrow 11.02.2017

  
  
  

  The Deputy Mayor of London, Mr Rajesh Agrawal, The Mayor of Harrow, Cllr Maragret Davine and Bob Blackman, MP, join the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at BLS Stanmore on 14.10.2017

  
  
  

  Hosted by Lord Popat of Harrow and joined by prestigious guests, BLS celebrated their 5th Anniversary with an Educational Event at the House of Lords 25.04.2018

  
  
  

  BLS Watford celebrate their first Ofsted Inspection report with Outstanding in all areas 25.05.2018

  
  
  

  Purnima Tanuku OBE and CEO of the National Day Nurseries Association visits BLS on 25.07.2018

  
  
  

  Paul Beard, Barnardo’s Regional Relationships Manager, accepts the BLS Big Toddle 2018 donation of £10,205.94 on 13.09.2018

  
  
  

  The Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP join staff for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at BLS Barnet on 04.11.2020

  
  
  

  Newham Council members, Councillors Joshua Garfield and Terry Paul join staff for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at BLS Stratford on 24.04.2021

  
  
  

  We are celebrating at BLS Stanmore, we have been awarded ‘Outstanding in All Areas’ in our first Ofsted Inspection 31.01.22

  
  
  

  Bright Little Stars Nursery in Watford are thrilled to celebrate the reopening of their Nursery Garden with special guest Kelly Smith MBE OLY, a Former England International and Arsenal footballer and Councillor Tim Williams 28.06.22

  
  
  

  Bright Little Stars Harrow and Stanmore had a fantastic time attending and presenting at a Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) event as a result of working towards their HEYL awards. 06.07.22

  
  
  

  Stanmore are the FIRST nursery in Harrow to Achieve GOLD in the Mayor of London’s Healthy Early Years London Award 01.09.22

  
  
  

  Bright Little Stars Nursery in Watford and Mill Hill had a fantastic time hosting Coffee Mornings for Macmillan Cancer Support inviting their staff and families. BLS then matched the donations of all parents and employees, bringing the total amount of money raised to £826.81. 10.10.22

  
  
  

  BLS Harrow Achieves GOLD in the Mayor of London’s Healthy Early Years London Award 24.10.22

  
  
  

  Bright Little Stars Nursery Hosts Annual 5 Years of Service Awards Dinner 07.10.22

  
  
  

  We are delighted that Bright Little Stars in Barnet have received a Good Rating on their first Ofsted Inspection where they were graded GOOD in all areas 07.12.22

  
  
  

  We are thrilled to announce Bright Little Stars in Mill Hill have raised to an impressive £650 for the wonderful charity Barnados through their Nursery’s 10th Birthday Celebrations and events 20.01.23

The National Nursery Recognition Awards 2020

Bright Little Stars Nursery are overjoyed following the National Nursery Recognition Awards 2020 having received winner for ‘Best Website’ and finalist for ‘Best Staff Development’.

The winners were selected based on a combination of votes, together with consideration from an independent panel of judges. There were many applicants and strong competition for these national industry awards.

Best Website

We have always tried to ensure our website is central to our registration process, information sharing, communication and most importantly parent partnership through initiatives like home learning via our parent portal. So many employees have contributed over the years through ideas, feedback and support all the way from Head Office to our staff in the learning rooms. It’s been a wonderful journey watching our website evolve!

At the heart of everything we do are the children, their happiness and the love, care and wonderful activities our staff bring to life in their learning rooms and outdoor areas.

Best Staff Development

We would also like to congratulate the team on being a finalist for ‘Best Staff Development’. We pride ourselves on providing plentiful opportunities for our staff in order for them to develop not just a job, but a satisfying career with us where they can enhance their skills and qualifications. 

LEA Awards of Excellence 2017

Bright Little Stars Nursery we are celebrating our Award-Winning status after receiving ‘The Teresa Graham CBE People Award’ at the LEA Awards of Excellence 2017.  The award recognises the work undertaken in making an impact on the lives of the children we care for and the fantastic work we carry out to support our children, parents and our staff.