Bright Stars Pre-School
OutstandingBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Ongar for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 2009.
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 Essex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex 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
CM5 0FFWhat 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 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the pre-school eager and ready to play. They happily separate from parents and carers with the support of staff, who are welcoming. Staff are excited to show children the activities and they explore these together. Children demonstrate high levels of concentration. They persevere when taking part in activities and demonstrate enjoyment when they complete tasks. Children delight in interactions with their peers and behave impeccably. They correct each other's behaviour. For example, when children using scooters crash into a trolley, other children remind them to stop.
Children with limited speech confidently use alternative ways to communicate. For example, they use gestures, pointing and single words. Children demonstrate the clear expectations to share the resources and be kind to each other. They learn this from the moment they begin in the pre-school, as older children use positive interactions with each other and mimic the staff. For example, children readily help each other to reach toys and set these out.
Children are extremely independent, inquisitive and confident. They freely move between the garden and indoor environment and select resources that interest them to enhance their play. Children demonstrate sequenced learning by carrying out a range of tasks. For example, when they need to wipe their nose, they confidently find a tissue, then place the used tissue in the bin by themselves.
- 15 March 2023Outstanding
- 20 July 2017Good
- 11 March 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bright Stars Pre-School
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.