Bright Horizons Springfields Day Nursery and Preschool

A toddler climbing frame, a garden stage and music through Boogie mites give Springfields a character built around movement, exploration and play. This purpose-built nursery on Beacon Street in Lichfield takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has capacity for 119 children. Its physical spaces give different ages different ways to explore.

At its 13 February 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Springfields Outstanding overall, judged safeguarding effective and praised the progress children made, including those receiving support for special educational needs and disabilities. Those findings belong to that visit; a later organisational safeguarding notice is a material consideration for families today.

An onsite car park and buggy park help with the practicalities of bringing young children to nursery. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, with funded childcare delivered through a stretched arrangement.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room combines sensory resources with a cosy setting, giving the youngest children things to investigate at their own pace. Toddlers have an indoor climbing frame alongside resources for exploration and play with other children. In the nursery and preschool rooms, planned activities develop skills and imagination; the preschool teacher uses Ready for School, a programme for preschool children.

These are different environments rather than a single room serving the whole age range. For a baby, sensory exploration leads the description; for a toddler, the climbing frame adds an opportunity for physical play. Preschool provision brings teacher-led preparation into the picture.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning, development and care: in everyday terms, children develop language, independence and early mathematical understanding through play and interaction. Boogie mites adds interactive music and movement, using songs to explore the world. It gives children another way to take part beyond conversation or table activities.

In February 2024, babies explored books with different textures while staff brought stories to life with voices and props. Younger children investigated a fairy house, discussing its door and the objects concealed inside. These examples connected hands-on discovery with opportunities to hear and use words.

Older children used pretend food to explore subtraction in February 2024, while dough and tweezers gave their fingers practice for later pencil use. A Chinese New Year activity linked making and performing with a dragon to finding China in an atlas. The interest extended beyond the craft itself into a conversation about places and celebrations.

Outdoor and Community Life

Babies and toddlers share an outdoor area surfaced with astroturf. Older children can move freely into their own garden, where a vegetable patch, mud kitchen and outdoor stage sit alongside sand play and a playground. Gardening, messy play and performance can therefore become part of ordinary nursery life rather than separate excursions.

Relationships and Communication

In February 2024, practitioners used their knowledge of children's interests to choose activities and repeated favourites when a child had missed them. That is a useful example of adapting the day around a child rather than expecting every child to participate at the same moment. Babies' story sessions also involved close interaction with familiar adults.

The group-wide Family app provides updates about children's experiences and development. In February 2024, daily conversations supplemented electronic updates, and staff shared ideas for activities at home. For parents, that combination connected the account of the nursery day with things they could try with their child themselves.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Individual care plans, targeted one-to-one help and work with other professionals formed part of SEND support in February 2024. Professional collaboration also supported the move to school. These are concrete mechanisms to discuss where a child needs additional help, rather than a general promise that every need will be handled in the same way.

Ofsted's regulatory call on 24 April 2026 identified shortcomings at Springfields in managing staff allegations and whistleblowing procedures; the outcome dated 6 May 2026 recorded those actions as met. Its separate notice dated 22 June 2026 required Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited to strengthen organisational safeguarding leadership, oversight, the handling of allegations and staff training, with actions due by 1 August 2026. Its scope was organisational: it did not identify concerns at every nursery, and the majority of settings continued to meet requirements. The latest published position is that the provider had not demonstrated consistently effective safeguarding across its provision and its response would be monitored. Families should weigh that later position alongside the branch's dated inspection judgement.

An onsite chef prepares food, and meals and snacks are included in private childcare fees. Funded sessions carry a separate, non-mandatory food charge, covering meals and snacks.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Beacon Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 7BJ. Springfields opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6pm, across the year, closing for an inset day, bank and public holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year. Those closures matter for families whose work continues through holiday periods.

Funded childcare uses 10-hour sessions beginning when the nursery opens. Additional attendance outside that session is charged separately; buying those extra hours is not a condition of accessing a funded place. The opening window and funded session length therefore serve different purposes when planning a child's attendance.

Personal tours can be booked through the branch's visit form. Telephone enquiries can also go directly to the nursery on 01543 223 365.

Getting There

The onsite car park and buggy park provide options for families travelling with young children. Lichfield City train station is nearby, adding a rail option to the location's practical appeal.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both privately paid childcare and funded hours are offered. The funded arrangements cover 15 funded hours and 30 funded hours, subject to eligibility, stretched across 50 weeks rather than delivered only in term time. Additional childcare hours and food are separate from the funded entitlement, and the food charge is non-mandatory.

Nappies and wipes are included in private childcare fees. Consumables associated with funded hours are supplied by Bright Horizons.

A registration charge applies, and fees are paid ahead of attendance through monthly direct debit. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with funded hours, additional attendance and food identified separately.

• Organisational safeguarding action. The 22 June 2026 notice required changes across the provider, with a deadline of 1 August 2026. Ask how those changes operate at Springfields and what subsequent outcome has been communicated to families.
• Garden work. A garden refurbishment announcement gives a 1 November start and a 12-week duration. Confirm its timing and effect on outdoor access during a visit, including which areas children will use.
• Preschool preparation. Ready for School is delivered by the preschool teacher. Ask for examples of what it involves and how it is adapted to your child's stage of development.
• Funded attendance and food. Funding is stretched across 50 weeks and uses 10-hour sessions, with a non-mandatory food charge. Compare the written quotation with the attendance you need, including any hours outside the funded session.

Springfields suits families seeking care from babyhood through preschool, with sensory play for younger children, physical exploration for toddlers and a teacher-led preschool programme. Its outdoor spaces and Boogie mites music sessions give the offer tangible appeal, while stretched funded sessions and additional privately paid hours serve different attendance needs.

The February 2024 judgement provides a strong dated assessment of the branch. The later branch safeguarding findings and organisational notice deserve equal attention in a joining decision.