Watford

BLS Watford has three bright learning rooms with your child’s best interests at heart, each tailored to one of our particular age groups of babies, toddlers and pre-school complete with carefully selected sophisticated resources, facilities and modern technology suited to encourage children’s exploration for plentiful learning opportunities. Each room has direct access to outdoor space allowing the free flow of learning and playing both indoors and out.

• Milky Way Room: Under 2 years old

  A warm welcome to the Milky Way room where we accommodate babies and pre-toddlers. We have created a safe, caring and stimulating play area which is bright and spacious to welcome all our little ones as they move around safely in a clean and caring environment. We operate a strict no outdoor shoes policy in this room. We have also incorporated a separate sleep area so all our babies can get the rest they need in a peaceful and calming atmosphere. We endeavour to mirror the care routines you give your child; through regular contact with your key person we can help ensure your child’s feeding, nappy changes and sleep routines are synchronised with those you use at home. Watford nursery

  Our passionate and caring staff provide an array of activities to stimulate each and every child and through the use of movement, sound, colour and touch, the children are encouraged to explore, develop, make independent choices and above all feel settled and comfortable in their nursery environment where a home from home environment is incorporated. Practitioners within this room understand sensitive care giving which is needed to support babies’ early development and understanding their emotional needs. This helps build attachments which is vital for children in the early years and gives them a sense of belonging.

  As the children get older and begin to explore and gain confidence, they are given the opportunities to participate in a wide range of educational and fun activities that will be planned around play and learning. Outside play once again forms a large part of their day where a wide range of toys and play equipment are available helping develop their balance, co-ordination and physical strength. At this age, children also begin to take in interest in books and nursery rhymes and we have a designated cosy corner to encourage this.  Group activities are gradually introduced which helps develop the children’s concentration and language skills and enables your child to experience a wide range of new emotions. We work very closely with you as parents to help and encourage all of these new skills that the children are learning. Watford nursery

• Orion: 2-3¼ years old

  Our Orion room is for children aged between 2 and 3¼ years old and each child will be assigned a new key-worker when they make the transition into this room. They will ensure that the children’s individual needs are met and will continue to help each and every child develop to their full potential working in partnership with you as parents to discuss their progress.

  The friendly and caring staff in the Orion room aim to create a fun, relaxed and stimulating atmosphere that begins to incorporate more structure with a familiar routine for the children to develop their physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social skills.

  Every activity in the Orion room is a learning opportunity and your child will enjoy a huge and diverse range of activities which are fun and stimulating. The children are able to explore new experiences with the freedom to start making their own choices, developing their independence and expressing themselves in their own way. This helps them become confident learners. All of the toys and resources are set out for easy access by all the children to enhance and develop their play experiences.

  Group activities are implemented into the daily routine which include pretend play, to better understand other people’s feelings and to continue to learn how to co-operate with others. To develop the children’s independence further, basic self-care skills are encouraged and supported to put their coats and shoes on when playing in the garden and using a knife and fork at meal times and washing their hands before meals. Childcare watford

• Supernova Room: Over 3+ years old

  

  A warm welcome to the Supernova Room where we accommodate our pre-school children aged from approximately 3¼ years to 5 years old. Our aim within the Supernova room is to ensure that your child is ready and eager to start school with a structured programme of learning, which is based on activities in preparation for the transition from nursery to ‘big’ school.

  Following the Early Years Foundation Stage and led by committed and qualified pre-school educators, the structured programme of activities is rich and varied. All areas of learning are reflected both indoors and outdoors of the learning room. They include: Communication & Language, Physical Development, Personal Social & Emotional Development, Mathematics, Literacy (including phonics, ‘reading’ and mark making/writing), Understanding the World and Expressive Arts & Design.  All resources are labelled to ensure stability and continuity. The children are able to participate in a wide range of activities which include: music, science experiments, geography, creative play, cooking and gardening. The day is enriched with plenty of learning experiences and opportunities. They also have opportunities to take part in various extra-curricular activities.

  We encompass a ‘School Day’ within a nursery day. This includes, whole group ‘teaching’ sessions, adult-led small group activities and child-initiated learning. We combine both adult-led and child-initiated activities to encourage independent learning and motivate children. Children are encouraged to choose resources from different areas of the learning room and have continual access to ICT equipment, sand, water, role-play and books. We also support and encourage children in areas such as eating, dressing and toileting and helping adults in everyday tasks such as preparing tables at meal times and tidying away afterwards. At this stage children are becoming more aware of their place in a community. Literacy and numeracy can develop rapidly with the support of a wide range of resources e.g. Numicon. Jolly Phonics and Read Write Inc. are used to support letter recognition and formation. Children’s language is now much more complex and longer sentences are being used. Conversations with adults become a more important source of information, guidance and reassurance.

  With all the above mind and in order to be able to access the learning provided in our pre-school room, we have room entry requirements.

Take a look at around our nursery and see all that we have to offer you and your little one.

At Bright Little Stars Nursery, for your convenience, unlike many other nurseries our fees include an exciting range of extra-curricular clubs, freshly prepared meals and snacks cooked by our on-site chef and milk (excluding formula milk). Watford

We are open Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 6:00pm, 50 weeks per year excluding Bank Holidays for children aged 6 months to 5 years. Our sessions comprise of a choice between part-time or full-time discounted care. Children can be dropped off and/or picked up anytime within their relevant session time. Fees are charged on a monthly basis.

In the best interests of each child, for private care, we ask you to commit to a minimum of 2 full days per week.  This ensures that each child is well settled and is able to participate fully within the curriculum at Nursery. Watford

For further detailed information about our fees or any discounts we are offering please see below or contact our Nursery Manager who will be more than happy to answer any queries you may have.

• Registration, Offers/Discounts and Additional Charges

  Offers/Discounts

  Siblings Discount

  To reward our loyal parent partners, we are happy to offer a 10% siblings discount to the eldest child of two children, including twins, attending our Nursery at the same time. For three siblings, we are happy to offer the eldest child a 10% siblings discount and the second child a 5% siblings discount when all three children are attending our Nursery at the same time*.

  Additional Charges

  Please note parents are expected to provide nappies, wipes and formula milk.

  Registration Fee:	£75.00 non-refundable
  Deposit:	2 weeks fees refundable subject to Terms and Conditions
  Late Collection Charge:	£10.00 for every 15 minutes
  Nursery Outings:	As and when they take place

• Funding, Tax-Free Childcare and Vouchers

  Government Funding

  The Government funds Local Authorities to offer subsidised early education places in settings inspected by Ofsted. We fully participate in offering your child 15 or 30 hours’ funded childcare per week.
  Currently, this will commence the term after your child becomes eligible for funding. Local Authority conditions apply. Extended funding for eligible parents will be rolled out in phases in line with government criteria:

  From April 2024, working parents of children aged 2 will be able to access 15 hours free childcare.

  From September 2024, working parents of children aged 9 months and above will be able to access 15 hours free childcare.

  From September 2025, working parents of children aged 9 months and above will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week.

  Funded Early Education entitlement commences the term after they become eligible for funding and are entitled to 570 hours of childcare which is 15 hours per week for 52 weeks a year.  In addition, 3 and 4 year olds of eligible, working parents may also be able to access a further 570 hours of funded childcare; this means 3 and 4 year olds could receive a total of 30 hours funded childcare per week over for 38 weeks a year, providing they meet the government eligibility.

  Bright Little Stars stretches this funding entitlement over the year and adds the cost of providing the many additional services that BLS prides itself on providing for our privately funded sessions. This includes nutritionally balanced meals designed by a qualified nutritionist, extra-curricular clubs, ParentCam, digital access to your child’s online learning journals with real time updates, a home learning platform, qualified teachers leading our pre-school, regular nursery events for children and parents, parent educational workshops with an extensive database of recordings, individualised support for school applications and many other additional services.

  To qualify for the 9 months plus Funding each parent (or the sole parent in a lone parent family) will need to earn, on average, at least the equivalent of 16 hours on the national minimum wage per week and no more than £100,000 per year.  Self- employed parents and parents on zero-hours contracts will be eligible if they meet the average earnings criteria. Families where one parent is not in paid employment (or neither parent works) will usually not be eligible for the additional 15 hours. There are exceptions for parents who are on parental, maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave. Parents who are studying or in training will not be eligible unless this is combined with paid work which meets the minimum average earnings threshold.

  To find out more please visit the Childcare Choices website.

  Please note:  Whilst we participate in 15 and 30 hours funded entitlement to Early Years Education this does not guarantee the availability of a place.

  Tax-Free Childcare

  All BLS Nurseries are registered and accept payments from Tax-Free Childcare accounts.  Tax-Free Childcare is a more accessible alternative to the Employer Childcare Voucher scheme offering tax efficient savings when paying for your nursery fees. Tax-Free Childcare will be open to all qualifying parents, unlike childcare vouchers which can only be bought by people whose employer offers the scheme.  It is a scheme by which the government will top up a designated childcare bank account by 20p for every 80p deposited, up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year.  It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure the Tax-Free Childcare payments are set up in line with the terms of the Bright Little Stars Contract.

  Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside the 15 and 30 hours funded entitlement to Early Years Education and will support families with their childcare costs.

  To find out if you are eligible or for more detailed information and how to register, please visit the Government Childcare Service website.  Please also see the Frequently Asked Questions in our Parent Information for further terms and conditions.

  Childcare Vouchers

  We accept Childcare Vouchers from employers who offer this benefit to their eligible employees as an e-voucher. Vouchers are non-taxable and exempt from NI contributions for employees, whilst offering NI savings for employers. Both parents are eligible to claim as long as they are both in employment.

We are delighted to have been graded a double OUTSTANDING in all areas by Ofsted at our Watford Nursery.

You are welcome to download a copy of our Ofsted Inspection Report.

Key Highlights:

“Children thrive in this dynamic nursery. From the moment children start, staff work tirelessly to understand each individual.”

“Children quickly form firm bonds with staff, secure in the knowledge that they are truly understood and valued.”

“The positive attitude of staff and managers permeates all areas of their work. Children reflect this, showing high levels of engagement and a genuine enjoyment of learning, frequently challenging themselves.”

“Children play an active role in their learning, often immersing themselves in highly intricate play. For instance, they collect thin log slices, patiently persevering as they arrange these and creating characters for each as they become ‘people’.”

“Children’s behaviour is exceptionally good. They show a mature approach and settle minor disputes independently.”

“Managers have exceptionally high expectations and are uncompromising in their goal to offer the very best for every child.”

“Staff demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of each child and fully understand what they need to learn next. Their excellent planning and sensitive interactions ensure that all children make exceptional progress. Meticulous monitoring procedures ensure that any gaps in children’s learning are swiftly addressed.”

“Working with other professionals and the support offered to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are key strengths. The nursery’s special educational needs coordinator implements sensitive procedures to highlight any areas where specialist support may be needed as early as possible.”

“Staff appreciate the importance of promoting children’s language and communication skills, taking great care to support children who speak English as an additional language.”

“Children receive consistent, expertly tailored support that aids them in making the best possible progress.”

“Creative staff bring books to life, encouraging children’s deep enjoyment of books and reading. For example, younger children listen to a favourite story. They use practical props to re-tell this. The children become totally immersed as they place the characters in their favourite part of the story and create different endings.”

“Parents praise managers and staff, stating that they are integral to making this such an amazing nursery. Parents highlight the excellent communication. They appreciate the highly practical support they receive in building on their children’s learning at home.”