Bright Lights Day Care
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Smethwick for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2023. Open since 2006, with 36 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Sandwell
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Sandwell from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
B66 1DHWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 15 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the nursery happy and eager to start their day. They are greeted warmly by the attentive staff and are encouraged to hang up their belongings on coat pegs labelled with their names. Children settle quickly into the familiar routines of the nursery and become immersed in their play. They make independent choices on what they would like to do with a strong sense of purpose and enthusiasm for their learning.
Children form secure attachments with their key person and staff, and they are confident in communicating their needs. Children receive clear and consistent messages about the expectations for their behaviour. During group times, children take turns to talk about the rules of the nursery, for example, using indoor voices.
As a result, children display positive behaviours. They work together to tidy away the toys and enjoy the responsibility of carrying out small tasks, for example, helping to clean the tables before snack time. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement, which builds their confidence and self-esteem.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - implement plans to develop the outdoor area to provide children with more varied and stimulating outdoor learning experiences n support staff to develop their teaching to consistently provide further challenge, to extend children's learning and build on what they already know and can do.
- 15 June 2023Good
- 20 September 2022Needs improvement
- 23 October 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bright Lights Day Care
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.