BrightStart, Compass

A separate unit for nine children under two gives BrightStart, Compass a clear starting point for parents choosing baby care. Older toddlers and preschool children use a larger, open-plan part of the building, while the garden has equipment for climbing, digging and scooting. The setting has capacity for 38 children from birth to five.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 9 November 2022 inspection. The practical appeal is the separation between younger and older children, alongside outdoor space that supports several kinds of active play. Morning, afternoon, short-day and full-day bookings serve different family routines.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby/Toddler unit sits on the left of the building and caters for nine children under two, while the larger space on the right uses an open-plan layout for developing toddlers and preschool children. That distinction matters: the youngest children have a separate base rather than sharing the main preschool space.

The garden is small, with equipment for digging, climbing and riding. Its value lies in the different ways children can use it, rather than its scale. For families comparing outdoor provision, those physical activities are more informative than a general promise of outdoor play.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework covering children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, play provides opportunities to develop language, movement, independence and relationships.

In November 2022, staff used children's existing skills and interests to shape activities and decide what to introduce next. During sand play, adults expanded the words children used; questions encouraged children to think before answering. This gives a concrete picture of learning through conversation rather than activities alone.

Stories also connected with practical experiences. In November 2022, children prepared bread for a tea party alongside The Tiger Who Came to Tea, while songs brought counting into play with toy trucks. These examples linked books and early number work to something children were already doing.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2022, babies practised movement using an indoor climbing frame and slide, and played with toy vehicles outside. A garden den provided another setting for stories and play with dolls. Indoor and outdoor experiences were connected, giving children different ways to explore similar interests.

For preschool children that month, Remembrance Day prompted poppy artwork, conversation and planting seeds in a planter. The activity moved between discussion, creative work and gardening. It was a specific example of a topic extending beyond a single craft task.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, an effective key-person system and good progress for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, supported by work with other agencies and purposeful use of additional funding. Those are dated judgements, but they give parents useful detail about the care assessed then.

In November 2022, room moves took account of how children were settling, and adults gave warning before changes in the day. Picture cards helped children who understood routines more easily through images. For a child who finds transitions difficult, these are practical examples of making a change understandable.

Independence featured in ordinary care routines that month. Children served food, cleaned their faces using a mirror and washed their hands. Outdoors, adults supported children on balance beams before encouraging another attempt with less help. The emphasis was on practising manageable tasks, with adult support available.

Two improvements were required in November 2022: clearer explanations of risks during activities, and fewer interruptions to children's concentration from care routines. Both concern how adults organise the day. A warning needs to explain the hazard, while a routine task can interrupt play that a child does not resume.

Sessions and Attendance

BrightStart, Compass is at 146-148 Compass Road, Hull, HU6 7BG, off Mizzen Road near the top of Beverley High Road. It opens Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, across 51 weeks, excluding bank holidays.

Paid morning sessions run from 7.30am to 1pm and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. Full-day bookings are also offered; children aged three and over can use a short day from 8.30am to 4pm. Extra hours can be added to a booked session, allowing families to extend an established pattern.

The weekly funded allocations are five short morning or afternoon sessions (afternoons run from 1pm to 4pm), three longer morning or afternoon sessions from 8am to 1pm or 1pm to 6pm, two short days from 8.45am to 4pm, or one ten-hour full day combined with one five-hour morning or afternoon session. Contact the Compass team directly on 01482 855250 for nursery enquiries.

Getting There

Parking is provided, and nearby bus routes connect with Hull and Beverley. That gives families both car and public-transport options for this North Hull address.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded education is offered for eligible children aged nine months and over and two-year-olds, and for three- and four-year-olds, including the extended 30-hour offer. The 15-hour entitlement can be taken during term time or stretched to 11 hours weekly across the year; the extended offer can be stretched to 22 hours weekly.

Paid-session prices include meals, snacks and consumables apart from nappies. During funded attendance, lunch is charged separately when children attend between 11.45am and 12.30pm, and tea when they attend after 4pm; a separate consumable charge covers items including snacks, drinks and wipes. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• The youngest children's base. The Baby/Toddler unit caters for nine children under two. During a visit, ask how feeding, sleep and active play fit together within that separate space.
• Concentration and risk awareness. The November 2022 improvement points concerned interruptions to play and explaining hazards clearly. Ask how practitioners now handle care routines and help children understand risks during activities.
• Different session lengths. Paid mornings begin at 7.30am, while longer funded mornings begin at 8am. Match the actual booking pattern to your working day, including any extra hours.
• Funded extras. Funded attendance carries separate lunch charges for attendance between 11.45am and 12.30pm, tea charges for attendance after 4pm, and consumable charges. Include these alongside additional private hours when comparing the overall cost.

BrightStart, Compass suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as short-day or full-day care. Its separate under-two unit and equipped garden give the offer a clear physical shape. The dated Good judgement adds useful context, while the November 2022 improvement points make the handling of routines and risk awareness worthwhile subjects for a visit.