Bright Star Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.1 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Chester Le Street for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 2012, with 89 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 hours, 30 hours.
Worth knowing. Funded sessions could be booked as below 15 hours 3 x half days 1 full day & 1 half day 30 hours 3 full days 2 full days & 2 half days 1 full day & 4 half days You can if you so wish, choose to extend your session @ £5 per half hour.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DH3 3SRWhat 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.
- 12 November 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 8 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The nursery has recently undergone a period of multiple changes to managers and staff. The current management team is committed, well qualified and experienced.
However, although the new manager is able to describe a broad, well-sequenced curriculum intended to promote children's learning, this is not yet delivered consistently by the whole staff team. Most teaching across the nursery is consistently good. Leaders are aware that the weaknesses in some staff's knowledge and interactions mean the quality of education is no longer at an outstanding level. They have clear ambitions to make improvements.
The enthusiastic staff know children very well and support their emotional wellbeing effectively. Children and babies form strong bonds with their key persons.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - continue to embed the new curriculum and support all staff to consistently consider the order in which children learn new skills to ensure that their learning is sequenced effectively n strengthen staff's skills to help increase their knowledge of how to help all children to understand the importance of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle n continue to strengthen communication with all parents and seek their views regularly to help evaluate practice and make further improvements.
- 8 May 2024Good
- 23 October 2018Outstanding
- 8 December 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bright Star Nursery
- What it costs
- Youngest age taken
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.