Brightlands Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Cheltenham for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 1997, with 54 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 Gloucestershire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Gloucestershire 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
GL50 3EDWhat 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, 5 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Babies, toddlers and older children thrive at the nursery. They all make good progress in their development and enjoy their play and learning experiences. They receive a warm welcome from the caring, attentive staff. Children of all ages settle quickly and are happy. They have good relationships with the staff and turn to them for reassuring cuddles, as needed. Children are polite and well behaved. They learn to play cooperatively and wait patiently to take turns, such as during meals and group times. Babies and toddlers explore enthusiastically. They learn to operate activity toys and use their senses to investigate. For example, the textures of wood shavings, sand, shiny balls and plastic eggs fascinate the babies. They discover the eggs can be opened and delight in filling and emptying them. All children develop their agility. Babies crawl at speed and develop their early walking skills with the enthusiastic encouragement of staff. Toddlers and older children have fun in the garden using resources. For example, two- and three-year-olds practise throwing and catching a ball. Older children ably pedal tandem tricycles and transport their friends at speed, showing great control and a lot of laughter as they negotiate the garden space. Children are well prepared for school. They develop their independence and confidence from a young age. They are introduced to letter sounds and recognition. They learn to use scissors competently and to hold pencils correctly. In the summer term, they bring in their physical education kits to practise dressing and undressing. The owners and staff team know every child well. They use their knowledge of children's needs, interests and abilities successfully to tailor the curriculum and to provide the support the children need to develop their skills.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop the programme for mathematics to build on children's existing mathematical awareness, so they learn complex shapes and gain greater confidence in completing simple calculations and counting n focus planning more effectively to maximise opportunities for children to practise their early writing skills in preparation for school.
- 5 April 2023Good
- 3 August 2017Good
- 19 October 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Brightlands Day Nursery
- 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.