Bright Horizons Worthing Day Nursery and Preschool

Daily park and library outings give this Chesswood Road nursery a life beyond its playrooms. Weekly Spanish for preschool children adds another clear point of interest. Bright Horizons Worthing Day Nursery and Preschool takes children from six months to five years, combining large, bright indoor spaces with a garden and regular visits to the beach and museum.

At its 6 November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found an ambitious curriculum that included children with special educational needs and disabilities and those learning more than one language. That dated judgement needs to be read alongside a later organisational safeguarding notice, explained below.

For practical planning, opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with a full-day session running from 8am to 6pm. Funded childcare and privately paid care are both offered.

Learning and Activities

Play combines activities chosen by children with experiences organised by adults, using both indoor and outdoor spaces. The EYFS provides the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care: here, children learn through play, conversation and practical activity. Alongside it sits the group-wide Bright Beginnings Curriculum, which uses activities to develop skills and support changes such as moving rooms or preparing for school.

Preschool children have a Spanish lesson each week. This gives another language a regular place in their nursery experience, rather than making it an occasional special event. Large playrooms contain toys and resources suited to children's ages, giving the indoor day space for exploration and different kinds of play.

In November 2024, singing involved children from the youngest ages upwards, with actions and words encouraging participation. Staff responded to babies' sounds and early attempts to communicate, turning these into exchanges. Older children worked on jigsaws while adults introduced mathematical vocabulary through conversation about the pieces. These examples show learning woven into ordinary interactions.

Outdoor and Community Life

A large garden, Mud Kitchen and Water Play provide different ways to explore outside. Daily outings take children to the local park and library, while visits to the beach and museum are regular. For families who value experiences beyond the nursery building, this is a substantial part of the offer.

In November 2024, children showed interest in living things and discussed how to care for them. Outdoor planning was less developed than indoor planning, however, and did not consistently extend children's learning. Staff also sometimes left activities because colleagues had not recognised that help was needed, breaking children's concentration. Both points matter: having outdoor space and interesting activities is only part of the picture; how adults organise and sustain them matters too.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2024, settling arrangements began with information about each child's routines and needs. Staff tailored introductory sessions to the child before their first full day. Children formed close relationships with their key person, giving that familiar adult an important role in the transition from home.

Information about children's interests and development was shared between staff, helping different adults understand the next steps in their learning. Parents also had opportunities to attend information evenings and workshops. A Halloween workshop brought families into creative play with children and staff, making communication more than a brief exchange about the day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In November 2024, practitioners recognised different interests and ways of learning when planning children's care and activities. Encouragement covered everyday independence as well as play: babies' efforts to walk and older children's success with coat zips received positive attention. For parents, these are useful examples of the small achievements adults noticed.

Ofsted's compliance outcome dated 22 June 2026 disclosed a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring Bright Horizons to address organisational safeguarding leadership, oversight, staff support, the handling of concerns and allegations, and consistent implementation of procedures, while explaining that the actions did not represent concerns at every individual setting and that most settings continued to meet requirements. It also concluded that the provider had not demonstrated that it could ensure consistently effective safeguarding across its provision. The latest published position set an action deadline of 1 August 2026 and said the provider's response would be monitored. This organisational finding should not be presented as a finding of a breach at Worthing, but it is material to a family's decision.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 49 Chesswood Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2AA. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays; the standard full-day session is 8am to 6pm. The fee structure covers attendance from one to five days a week, allowing families to compare a smaller weekly commitment with a full working week.

Care runs across the year, with closures for one inset day, bank and public holidays, and the period between Christmas and New Year. Fees are collected monthly by direct debit in advance. Enquiries can be made by telephone, and personal tours can be booked.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can use funded childcare, with 15-hour and 30-hour arrangements included in the fee structure. Funding is stretched across 50 weeks rather than confined to term time. Funded sessions last 10 hours and start at the nursery's opening time; attendance beyond the funded session is charged separately, and purchasing extra hours is not a condition of a funded place.

For privately paid care, meals and snacks are included in the fee; food during funded hours has a separate, non-mandatory charge that is not a condition of accessing funding. An onsite chef prepares food, and the private fee includes nappies, wipes and age-appropriate milk, subject to the stated exception that a small number of nurseries cannot supply every listed item; consumables associated with funded hours are supplied by Bright Horizons.

A registration charge also applies. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, which should distinguish funded time, additional paid hours and food.

Getting There

The nursery sits between Worthing Train Station and East Worthing Train station. That gives commuting families named transport points to consider alongside the Chesswood Road address.

• Organisational safeguarding action. The 22 June 2026 notice set a deadline of 1 August 2026 for changes across Bright Horizons. Before joining, ask how those changes have been implemented at Worthing and what oversight now applies to concerns and allegations.
• Outdoor learning and uninterrupted play. In November 2024, outdoor planning and staff support during activities needed further work. During a tour, ask for examples of how garden activities build on children's learning and how colleagues keep an activity going when another adult is needed elsewhere.
• The funded day and extras. Funded sessions start at opening time and last 10 hours, while the standard full day runs from 8am to 6pm. Compare the proposed attendance agreement with your working day, including the non-mandatory food charge and any additional paid hours.
• Everyday supplies. The private-fee package includes nappies, wipes and milk, with an exception for a small number of nurseries. Confirm the Worthing package when discussing your child's needs, including current arrangements for allergies or special diets.

Worthing suits families seeking care across the year, whether for selected full days each week or a full working week. Daily local outings, weekly Spanish and generous indoor play spaces give parents concrete reasons to consider it. The November 2024 judgement provides a positive inspection position, with clear areas for further work. The later organisational safeguarding notice makes the implementation of current safeguarding arrangements a central joining question.