Bright Horizons West Hill Day Nursery and Preschool

Our daughter joined this nursery shortly after it opened when she was 1year old. The first 6 months were excellent, we were very pleased with the facilities, staff and management. Sadly, the original management team left and since then it has never been the same. 1.5 years later, 6 managers have been and gone, numerous key workers and a number of concerns over the quality of care and safeguarding, we had to take the decision to remove our daughter. A number of other parents took the same decision around the same time as us. The facility itself is beautiful, large and bright but I’m not convinced all the additional rooms such as art studio, cooking studio etc are adequately utilised. They never took the children out anywhere, not even the local park which is a short walk away. The staff turn over was ridiculous, the quality of food became very poor. The nursery workers in the rooms tried their best, but management was shambolic.

The facilities are new and spacious. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Management is trying hard to make it better, though it is difficult to please all of the parents at such a large nursery. Our child has been very happy going there, and we have been very happy with the staff we talk to.

This is a lovely, caring nursery with exceptional facilities and kind staff. Our daughter loves telling us about all the activities she gets up to, from riding balance bikes in the toddler garden to experiments in the science lab, painting in the art studio, and baking in the children’s kitchen. And all of the key information (food they’ve eaten, nap times, nappy changes, activities, etc) are recorded in the daily sheet that gets sent home. There have been a few changes to management over the past year or so, but we have been extremely impressed by the new management team who have been in place since the nursery re-opened after lockdown. They are incredibly organised, very knowledgeable, and their engagement with parents is superb – we receive regular updates by email, have scheduled chats with key workers over zoom (due to coronavirus restrictions), and they organise and encourage lots of home learning activities to help bridge the gap between nursery and home.

Our experience with the nursery is much better since it has reopened in July 2020 after the first lockdown.
I find the new management more attentive and friendlier. I think they are trying their best and it is hard not to notice that. I like new activities and events they offer to children and regular development assessment meetings. I think that food menu can be improved but overall, I have more confidence in the nursery now.

The care from the fairly new management team is excellent, and we have noticed a significant improvement since the management has changed. The care from the day to day staff has always been very good, so I’m glad this has continued. My little boy is very happy there.

I have two children one and a half years and four years old who attend the nursery and preschool at Bright Horizons West Hill Day Nursery and Preschool. They started in October 2020 and I’ve been really pleased with how quickly they’ve settled and the relationships they’ve developed with the children and staff there. They joined straight after moving from overseas and my youngest had not been looked after by a childcare provider before. After a couple of tearful days she took to the nursery and teachers very quickly and absolutely loves the time she spends there. I’ve watched my eldest develop so much since joining the preschool, especially with numbers and the alphabet and have been really impressed with the range of activities he gets involved in. The staff are friendly, warm and are quick to address any questions that I have. Their response during the Covid-19 pandemic has been very organised, professional and despite the extra pressure this must have put on them, hasn’t impacted the quality of care that has been provided.

We are so grateful to all the lovely staff at Bright Horizons West Hill Day Nursery and Preschool for everything they have done for my daughter since she started there in July 2019. She has been so happy there that when it was closed during the first lockdown she would ask when she could go back to see her friends. The staff are absolutely fantastic and do so much for the children with lots of exciting activities and celebrations. My daughter started when she was just one, she is now nearly three and she is such a happy, confident little girl who runs in through the door without even turning her head to say goodbye because she is so pleased to be there. I am delighted with her development. This is a fantastic nursery with outstanding staff. The new management team are so committed and doing a great job. I would hate anyone to be put off by the earlier reviews as the previous issues just don’t exist anymore. I would recommend it without hesitation.

We couldn’t have been happier with our son’s time at Bright Horizons (West Hill). During his 9 months, he was made to feel loved and safe and we can only hope that we find somewhere else as fantastic, now that we have moved out of town. The manager is wonderful and always helped to solve problems and make life as easy as possible and two of the staff members, in particular, have a perfect blend of kindness and patience, while still running a relatively tight ship. To see our little boy’s face light up when we dropped him off (and when we picked him up), made us feel so much happier in our decision to start sending him when he was only 5 months old. We really couldn’t recommend this nursery and its staff any higher!

The nursery staff does not take the health and safety of the children very seriously. Two of my children were seriously injured at the nursery more than once (requiring A&E’s assistance). I have raised the matter with the management team which seems unfazed and no further actions were taken. Furthermore, there is a big turnover of staff that is not beneficial in terms of consistency and continuity, and most of the best employees have left. Recently they have repurposed the children’s art room and kitchen to replace by office space for their admin staff and even though the fact that they are reducing the kid’s facilities they increase their nursery fees by approx £200. Overall the service is not satisfactory and I am currently researching alternative options.

This is a positive, caring and organised nursery. My son has already made progress in motor skills and socialising in just three weeks. The entire staff team are super friendly, very helpful and professional. The nursery building is bright, airy and yet still has a homely, cosy feel. The food menu is varied and they fully accommodate my son’s allergy needs. The staff seem to take pride in their work, setting up lovely activities for the babies. The app is super detailed and really puts your mind at ease to be able to have constant information.