Bright Start Day Nursery and Pre School

College grounds, a purpose-built building and childcare open to the wider community give Bright Start a clear place in Selby family life. The nursery works with Selby College to support its staff and those studying there, while also welcoming families from outside the College. It has capacity for 53 children, spanning babies and preschool children.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 4 March 2022. Children’s interests shaped activities at that time, with vegetables providing both sensory exploration for babies and growing and cooking experiences for older children. The practical appeal today includes food cooked on site and a choice between daily and half-day bookings.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning and care: children develop through play, conversation and activities across its areas of learning. Bright Start combines activities guided by adults with play that children initiate themselves. Choosing resources gives children a part in deciding what they explore, rather than having every activity chosen for them.

Open-ended resources, expressive language and independence are central to the nursery’s approach. These are concrete priorities for the day: resources invite children to make their own use of them, while conversations help them explain ideas and interests. The approach includes spaces for play indoors and outside.

In March 2022, an interest in farms led to exploration using courgettes, sprouts and spring onions for babies; older children could cultivate vegetables and use their harvest in cooking. Staff introduced unfamiliar vegetable names as part of those experiences. Learning about food therefore also gave children something specific to talk about.

Books and early writing had a practical place in the March 2022 day. Older children explored letters and their sounds, while chunky chalk gave children opportunities to make marks before writing. Cutting sticky tape with scissors brought hand control and problem-solving into ordinary play. These examples show how everyday materials can carry learning, rather than requiring every experience to be a formal lesson.

There were weaknesses too. In March 2022, some group activities lost children’s attention because planning did not sufficiently account for their abilities. Toys left out after play also obstructed movement and made it harder to begin another activity. The required improvements were better matching of group activities to children’s abilities, developing children’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe, and teaching them to care for their play spaces.

At its March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and additional support for children with SEND effective, including carefully directed funding and one-to-one help for some children. These are dated judgements, with practical examples behind them rather than a general promise about every child’s experience.

During March 2022, babies settled readily and children sought comfort from familiar staff. Gentle music accompanied play in the baby room. The important detail is the relationship: children were comfortable turning to adults when they needed reassurance.

Daily conversations with parents were part of communication in March 2022. Staff shared what children had been doing and gave families ideas for continuing learning at home. Staff also used signs to help communication following training. For parents, these examples connect the nursery day with the ways a child communicates and learns beyond it.

Health information forms part of joining arrangements. Before attendance begins, parents complete a contract and registration form covering matters such as allergies, dietary needs, emergency contacts and collection arrangements. This gives the nursery specific information about the child before care starts.

Meals are cooked at the nursery by its cook, with provision for dietary requirements. Food is included for fully privately paying children on weekly, daily and half-day rates, while meals taken alongside funded education are charged separately.

Sessions and Attendance

Bright Start opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. It closes on bank holidays and during Christmas week. That Christmas closure matters for families arranging childcare across the working year.

Daily bookings cover 10 hours and half-day bookings cover five hours; weekly bookings cover 50 hours. Extra hours beyond the session rate are charged at the hourly rate. The opening window and the booked length serve different purposes: families need the pattern that matches their day, rather than assuming every daily booking spans the entire opening period.

Admissions priorities begin with looked-after children, followed by children known by the local authority to have SEND whose needs can best be met there and vulnerable children receiving specified support. Siblings then take priority over children whose parents live locally. A full-time request may take precedence over a part-time one, depending on work commitments, occupancy and room availability. The nursery operates a waiting list.

Getting There

The address is Selby College, Abbots Road, Selby, North Yorkshire, YO8 8AT. Enquiries go directly to Bright Start on 01757 706340 or brightstart@forunderfives.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered for three- and four-year-olds and eligible children aged nine months and two years. The offer is 15 or 30 hours a week, depending on eligibility, over 38 weeks. Some families may qualify for a further 15 hours.

Funded admissions have a termly intake, starting in the term after the child reaches the relevant eligibility age. Bookings can be made a term ahead, and the nursery may limit funded sessions according to its business requirements. Funding therefore needs to be considered alongside the actual attendance arrangement.

For funded hours, meals carry separate charges. Fully privately paying weekly, daily and half-day bookings include meals; additional hours are paid separately. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Group activities and play space. In March 2022, some children disengaged from group activities and uncleared toys restricted movement. On a visit, ask how activities now accommodate different abilities and how children learn to keep their play areas safe.
• Part-time booking priority. Full-time requests may take precedence where work commitments, occupancy and room availability affect the decision. Discuss how that rule applies to the half-day pattern you want.
• Funded attendance and the full bill. Funded education runs over 38 weeks and meals are charged separately. Request a written quotation for your attendance pattern.

Bright Start suits families considering either daily or half-day care, including those with a connection to Selby College and those using it independently. Its purpose-built premises, child-led play and on-site cooking give the offer practical substance. The March 2022 picture included settled children and useful everyday learning, alongside clear improvements needed in group engagement and care of play spaces. Those are sensible priorities for a visit, while the funding and booking rules deserve equal attention when weighing the fit.