Bright Horizons Court Oak Day Nursery and Preschool

A small allotment gave children something tangible to care for at Court Oak in June 2024: plants to water, growth to measure and food to talk about. At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Bright Horizons Court Oak Day Nursery and Preschool Good and found strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The Birmingham nursery accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. Later safeguarding action is central to the decision families face: the educational picture from 2024 needs to be read alongside the regulatory notices issued in 2026.

In June 2024, the early years foundation stage took practical form through stories, singing, conversations and exploring natural materials. Children could investigate, create and talk about their experiences, connecting learning with things they handled and cared for.

The growing gardeners enhancement included tending a small allotment, with herbs, fruit, vegetables and wild flowers. Watering and measuring plants gave children concrete reasons to discuss change and where food comes from. Caring for pet snails and learning about caterpillars added another opportunity to consider what living things need.

Books travelled home too. In June 2024, a lending library served every room, while selected books helped shape activities. Babies and children joined stories, rhymes and songs, giving families shared material for conversation beyond nursery. Learning in June 2024 was arranged to build on what each child already knew. For parents, that meant individual starting points shaped the next steps, with activities linked to children's previous experiences and opportunities to extend their understanding.

In June 2024, key persons knew children's personalities and earlier experiences, helping them form close relationships. Parents' evenings, workshops and an online application connected families with daily experiences and learning plans. A toilet-training workshop helped parents coordinate their approach at home with nursery practice.

At mealtimes in June 2024, children served themselves and poured drinks while practitioners sat with them, supervised and chatted, giving children opportunities to practise independence and enjoy conversation together. Name cards matched children to coloured plates and identified foods they could not eat, making individual dietary requirements part of the meal routine staff followed.

Support for SEND included individual targets, sessions with a practitioner and resources bought using funding. In June 2024, key persons worked alongside the SEND coordinator, parents and receiving schools; teachers were invited to meet children before their move to school.

The Colour Monster, a book used with soft toys to discuss feelings, supported emotional conversations in June 2024. Older children had spaces for calming themselves, but younger rooms could become noisy and lacked somewhere quiet to retreat.

Ofsted's June 2026 action addressed organisational safeguarding oversight across Bright Horizons, while its August 2026 action followed a visit to Court Oak that found requirements were not being met. The June notice explicitly concerned organisational arrangements rather than findings at every nursery; the August notice concerned this setting.

The August actions required immediate responses to safety concerns, staff training in escalating concerns and whistleblowing, and prompt reporting through local child-protection procedures. Their deadline was 27 August 2026. These are the latest published actions, not a finding that they have subsequently been completed.

Court Oak's address is 2 Tennal Lane, Birmingham, B32 2BN. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and bank-holiday closures.

In June 2024, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. This describes participation at that date.

• Safeguarding action. The June 2026 organisational notice and August 2026 Court Oak notice require serious consideration. Before joining, ask what action has been taken on escalation, staff training and oversight, and what subsequent regulatory outcome families can see.
• Quiet space for younger children. In June 2024, noise and the lack of a calm retreat in younger rooms were concerns, especially for toddlers. During a visit, ask to see how a child who feels overwhelmed can take a break.
• Time to answer. In June 2024, staff sometimes moved through conversation too quickly for children to respond. Ask how practitioners now leave space for children to think and speak.

Court Oak may suit families who value gardening, books shared with home and close communication with practitioners. Those were concrete strengths of its June 2024 daily life. The later safeguarding notices carry substantial weight, however: the Good grade from 2024 should not be treated as a current safeguarding assurance.