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Bright Horizons UK Reviews 

173
TrustScore 4 out of 5

3.9

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 107 reviews, reviewers had a great experience with this company. Parents consistently praise the kind, caring, and attentive staff members who create a wonderfully warm and nurturing environment where children can comfortably thrive every single day. Families truly appreciate the engaging daily activities, beautiful natural settings, and helpful progress updates that make everyone feel completely comfortable and supported. Some reviewers were not happy with administrative challenges, unhelpful management responses, or frustrating difficulties regarding scheduled backup care services. Other people also felt that certain branch locations experienced communication gaps, staffing inconsistencies, or unforeseen issues during their time there.

What people talk about most

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff, consistently praising their warm, caring, and attentive nature.... See more

Service

Consumers find service to be positive and note that children receive genuine care and attention. Reviewers... See more

Location

People report positive experiences with location, noting that the settings are convenient and in great spots... See more

User experience

Customers had positive experiences with user experience, consistently praising the fantastic mobile... See more

Facilities

Customers consistently note positive experiences with facilities, highlighting the top-notch hygiene,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

"We were thoroughly satisfied with the services provided by this nursery. The caregivers were kind, caring, and attentive to the children's needs. Our child was happy and content during their time the... See more

Company replied

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

As a grandparent i regularly visit x3 different nursery groups 2 of which are bright colorful friendly places ,they organise simple outings,encourage independance and provide interesting and varied me... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our daughter attend bright horizons Purley and I'm consistently impressed with the real care and imagination of the staff. They've helped her develop in confidence and she loves going to nursery and i... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing nursery, friendly colleagues they are really passionate about the children & their developmental needs. I find the App a great tool to use for many reasons update on daily activities & food m... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Nursery school
  2. Elementary school
  3. Play School
  4. Preschool

About Bright Horizons UK

Written by the company

Bright Horizons UK

Bright Horizons has been trusted by families for over 30 years and is one of the UK's leading childcare providers. With more than 270 nurseries nationwide, we offer safe, welcoming environments where children from three months to five years can learn, play, and grow.

Our nurseries follow the Nurture Approach and Bright Beginnings Curriculum, created by early years specialists to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and prepare every child for the next stage of their journey. Parents regularly share how much they value the warmth of our staff, the quality of care, and the reassurance that their child is happy and thriving each day.

What makes us different is our people. Our dedicated teams are passionate about creating strong bonds with families and providing opportunities for children to flourish. Alongside our nurseries, we also support families through flexible Work+Family solutions, making Bright Horizons one of the most comprehensive childcare providers in the UK.

We are proud to be recommended by parents across the country, creating brighter futures, one child and one family at a time.


Why Families Choose Bright Horizons

  • Settling-in sessions
  • Flexible session patterns
  • Nutritious meals and essential items
  • Support with funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare
  • Exceptional care for children from babies through to preschool
  • Clear communication and partnership with parents

Find a Nursery


Visit a Bright Horizons Nursery

When you visit, our nursery teams will talk you through the options available and help you understand what works best for your family.

Choosing childcare is a big decision — and we know every family's needs are different. That's why we encourage parents to visit a Bright Horizons nursery in person.

On Your Tour, You Can:

  • Meet the amazing practitioners who would care for your child
  • See the rooms, outdoor spaces and daily routines
  • Ask questions, explore funding options and discover next steps

Book a Tour


Back-Up Care

You don't have to choose between work and family. Back-Up Care steps in when your usual care falls through—vetted, insured, and stress-free.

How It Works

If your employer offers it, you're covered. Book same-day or advance care for children, elders or pets in just a few clicks.

What To Do Now

  • Check if your employer already provides Back-Up Care
  • Learn how it works and what's included
  • Share this with HR if you don't have it yet

Find out more


Contact info


3.9

Great

TrustScore 4 out of 5

173 reviews

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3.9

All reviews

(173)

105 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Rose Cottage Bright Horizon, Hayward Heath

Our eldest daughter is at Rose Cottage Bright Horizons in Haywards Heath and our youngest is due to start in the next month. The staff (both managers and room staff) are all amazing and the outdoor space is incredible (she spends most of her time outside with the play equipment/animals). She is really happy and settled due to the comfortable environment and as such it was an easy decision to enrol our youngest daughter there as well.

17 September 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We’re delighted to hear how happy and settled your daughter is at Bright Horizons Rose Cottage Day Nursery and Preschool in Haywards Heath and that she enjoys the outdoor play areas and animals. It’s wonderful that the team have created such a welcoming environment for your family, and the team look forward to welcoming your youngest daughter soon.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Bright Horizons Rugby

We have had experience with the bright Horizons setting in Rugby, my older daughter attending the nursery from 10 months old all the way through to preschool and my younger daughter is currently still at the nursery in pre school!

The nursery itself is amazing the staff are brilliant and caring. The way in which both my daughters have developed at the nursery has been great. The staff that looked after my older daughter some five years ago are still at the nursery and have looked after my younger daughter which shows that they are long standing members of staff and the turnover of staff is low which in itself speaks volumes.
I would not choose another nursery to look after my girls I trust the staff and the development of both my girls through attending the nursery has been easy to see and prepared them for life at school.
I cannot comment about any of the bright horizon nurseries but the rugby nursery is amazing!!

17 September 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for such lovely feedback about Bright Horizons Rugby. We’re delighted to hear both your daughters have thrived with at our nursery from baby room through to preschool, and it’s wonderful that you value the dedication and long-standing commitment of our team.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We love Bright Horizons!

Everyone we have come across at Bright Horizons, West Norwood is professional and makes me feel safe to leave my child with them. They have a nurturing approach and really care about developing the children. Our son loves going to this nursery.

17 September 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for sharing your kind words. We’re delighted to hear your son enjoys his time at Bright Horizons West Norwood and that you feel supported by our professional and nurturing team.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A safe, caring, and supportive nursery we truly trust

We are so happy with Bright Horizons First Class Day Nursery and Preschool Aberdeen. Our one-year-old attends, and the care received is excellent. The development in our child is so evident, and we feel completely safe leaving them each morning. The staff are always polite, kind, and take the time to explain everything clearly.

We also really appreciate the mobile app, which keeps us updated throughout the day about when our child slept, how long they slept, what they ate (and didn’t eat), and so much more. It gives us great peace of mind.

Overall, we are very pleased and thankful for the wonderful care and support provided by the team.

17 September 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We’re so pleased to hear how happy you are with the care, communication, and support at Bright Horizons First Class Day Nursery and Preschool Aberdeen. It’s great to know the updates on the Family App give you peace of mind, and we’ll be sure to share your kind words with the team.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A great Nursery chain

A great Nursery chain. Sad to see so many negative reviews, hopefully those specific nurseries now have the support needed as I've never had any issues for the Bright Horizon nurseries in the West Sussex area. In fact, I have only good things to say about them having worked at a few of them over the last 7 years.

15 September 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for your kind words about Bright Horizons. We’re so pleased to hear your positive experience and remain committed to providing safe, nurturing and inspiring environments for every child in our care.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely dreadful experience that I…

Absolutely dreadful experience that I would not wish upon anyone! Cancelled nanny last minute without my consent and did not even bother giving me a call. Found out about that when I called them myself. On multiple occasions told me that someone will call back and of course no one did, so basically lied. Had to cancel plans last minute due to their unprofessionalism and misinformation

12 August 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for providing your feedback and letting us know about this issue. We are sorry you felt let down. If you have any further details, please contact our customer service team at ukcomplaints@brighthorizons.com to provide additional details.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Extremely unprofessional and disorganised

My experience with Bright Horizons has been deeply disappointing and stressful. My child attended their nursery and left for school over a year ago, with all fees settled to the best of my knowledge. Out of the blue, a full year later, I received a sudden demand for an unexplained payment. There had been no prior warning or breakdown of charges - just a demand for money.

When I questioned the charge, I found their staff extremely unhelpful and dismissive. I explained that I couldn’t pay immediately as I needed to budget - something any parent can relate to - but instead of offering support or clarity, they sent the alleged debt to a collection agency. I had to chase them to stop the process, which they eventually did - only for the debt collection agency to reappear a year later, now threatening me with a CCJ.

With two young children born in the last two years, I’ll admit it slipped my mind to follow up, but the total lack of communication from Bright Horizons until the reappearance of a debt collector feels like deliberate pressure and intimidation. I have now felt forced to pay fees I don’t understand, just to avoid damaging my credit.

Throughout the time my child attended, there were multiple instances where I was asked to pay large sums, which turned out to be billing errors once questioned. If I had blindly paid every time, I would have lost thousands of pounds unnecessarily.

This nursery is not only poorly managed and disorganised, but they appear to be profit-driven rather than child-focused. I wouldn’t trust them with my finances, let alone the care of my children, again.

Parents, be cautious. Always triple-check your invoices and don’t expect helpful or compassionate communication if issues arise.

(Also interesting that most of the ratings on here are also low. Clearly it’s not just me!)

23 July 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

We’re sorry to hear how upsetting this experience has been for you. As this relates to your account, and if we can assist you further, please get in touch with our parentenquiry team at 0330 433 2460 or parentenquiry@brighthorizons.com, who will be best placed to look into this and provide further support.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Tytherington Bright Horizons

Unfortunately we were left no other option but to send our daughter here due to the Bright Horizons Prestbury closing. The Prestbury one was fantastic! Tytherington however ..
My daughter came home on five occasions with unexplained bruises and bumps. When questioned they quickly wanted to write up an accident form .. which should be done when the incident occurs. Very unwelcoming environment with little to no proper basic care for children. Two other occasions my child came home with wet clothes and her spares still untouched. Manager doesn’t want to know, it’s all smiles at the start but if you complain you’re made to feel very uncomfortable. I moved my daughter after just one month and I was heavily pregnant so not ideal. It was the best decision we’ve made as parents as I feel it’s not a safe environment with any good staff there unfortunately. I warn most parents to stay clear, the lack of care and constant change in staff is ridiculous. You’d go to collect and there was staff in the room you’d never met seen or more importantly been informed about. The manager is very unorganised, disinterested and they don’t put the children first. You take them and they leave them to do whatever there is no care id honestly drive miles instead of taking my new baby here. I’ve never come across such lack of care in a childcare environment, we reached out to say why we were leaving. Unfortunately due to how unprofessional the management team are when my issues were raised they showed absolutely no interest just wanted to ensure the payment was settled. If I could rate them less than one star I would, I highly recommend not going here there are plenty of childcare providers in the area that will actually look after the most important thing to you and it’s not Tytherington bright horizons. They are very aware of who I am! They have so many parents moving their children they probably cannot keep up. AVOID.

7 September 2024
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Dear ML, thank you for getting in touch and providing your feedback. We too were sad to see Prestbury close last year, but rest assured the safety and well-being of the children in our care across our nursery settings are our top priorities. If you have any further details or if there's anything specific you would like us to address, please contact ukcomplaints@brighthorizons.com.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Very disappointed with the care in the…

Very disappointed with the care in the preschool room. Staff seem disorganised, inattentive, and often overwhelmed. My child came home several times with issues that clearly showed a lack of proper supervision and basic care. Would not recommend Bright Horizons Tytherington.

2 June 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for providing your feedback we are aware of your case. This is now with the appropriate teams. If you have any further details or if there's anything specific you would like us to address, please contact ukcomplaints@brighthorizons.com.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Bright Horizons Tytherington

My daughter is currently at Bright Horizons Tytherington and the nursery are amazing. They made the transition from another local nursery very smooth, not only supporting my child but ourselves as parents. The staff are lovely and offer soo many different activities. My daughter is always happy to go and I feel safe leaving her with the very nurturing and caring team. The management team are always on hand and always try to make them selves as present as possible. Just saying that “Hi how are you” at drop off can really brighten up your day. They cultivate a culture for appreciation to, with things like encouraging parents to recommend staff for the colleague of the month award. I would recommend this nursery as they have your child’s and family’s interests at the heart of everything they do and my child is soo happy there.

20 June 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you so much for your kind words. We're thrilled to hear your daughter has settled in so well and that you feel supported by our team. It’s great to know she’s happy to come in each day and that you feel confident in our care.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tytherington - Fantastic!

My daughter goes to the Tytherington nursery - it’s a fantastic space with great gardens and warm lovely people. It’s great to see her on the app with everything she is interested in and exploring with. We also use our company benefit to book extra days when her grandparents can’t have her - quick, easy and relieved the stress we would have had taking time off work. She’s almost 3 and talks about her time at nursery all day long!

9 June 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled your daughter loves nursery life and we're glad the app and flexible bookings make things easier for your family.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Dreadful company

Dreadful company. We provided free emergency childcare to our employees through this company - we paid for the childcare, but as it is a taxable benefit, we have to declare to HMRC the cost of the benefit for the calculation of tax due by the employee.
Bright Horizons costs were so extortionate that the tax payable by most of our employees was more than the cost if they had found the childcare themselves. On top of that, they told me they couldn't give me the report I needed because their "tax advisors" had advised them that the report wasn't compliant with HMRC rules and so to not provide it! So therefore tried to reconcile data between multiple Bright Horizons reports, but it was impossible due to so many inconsistencies in their own data. How can they be so incompetent? I don't trust any of their data to be correct.
For the final two months we were with them they say they can even provide data of emergency childcare bookings by our employees. But they were still able to invoice us!
How do they stay operating?!
Thankfully we are with a new provider from June 2025.

3 June 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for providing your feedback and letting us know about this issue. We are deeply sorry to hear about the challenges you have faced but are not aware of any case. We'd like to delve deeper into this matter. If you’d like to discuss further, please get in touch on 0330 433 2460 or email us at parentenquiry@brighthorizons.com.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

People really do matters

I've been with Bright Horizons for 3 years, and it's been an amazing experience. The company truly supports your professional growth and values work-life balance. The team is passionate, dedicated, and genuinely cares about making a difference in children's lives. A fantastic place to work if you love childcare!

29 May 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you Carol for sharing your experience.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

1/5 stars - Disappointing Experience

I'm writing to warn other parents about the subpar care at Portswood Day Nursery and Preschool from Southampton. My child attended for only three weeks in April, but the experience was marred by several issues.

- Inadequate settling process and inconsistent caregivers (over 5 different staff members)
- Child struggled to eat and sleep due to lack of comfort
- Injury occurred due to staff inattention
- Designated caregiver was frequently absent (medical leave and vacation) without adequate replacement
- Hygiene concerns and sick children attending, resulting in my child contracting a viral infection
- Lack of transparency (delayed access to tracking app) and prioritization of payments over child care

When I decided to withdraw my child, I was asked for an excessive two-month notice period. It seems the nursery's priority is financial gain rather than providing quality care.

Specifically, I hold Nursery Manager and the Regional Manager (I'm not able to mention names), accountable for the nursery's shortcomings. Overall, I found the nursery to be unprofessional, uninvolved, and lacking empathy.

Avoid this nursery at all costs. Other parents deserve better.

7 May 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

We appreciate your feedback and we are aware of your case. If you have any further details or if there's anything specific you would like us to address, please feel free to contact our customer service team at ukcomplaints@brighthorizons.com to provide additional details.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Lying and bullying culture amongst team

You have realised that your management has wrongly refused to apply and claim early years the funding, whether this was intentional or not, I can't say. Deadline to claim funding is 4th of March code provided 2nd of February

But instead of accepting that you were wrong and made amends you have turned to lying and bullying me into paying full fees, it is very shameful and not the type of culture you should encourage in your organisation, because sooner or later you will experience the same behaviour amongst yourselves.

And there is a possibility that you have claimed the funds and lied about not claiming it, plus requesting I make full payment on top. That is fraud

This matter will be investigated by an external agency

4 April 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for sharing your experience, we are aware of your case and can assure you that the funding process has been correctly followed and applied. Please contact ukcomplaints@brighthorizons.com who will be able to explain any concerns you may have.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely terrible company

Absolutely terrible company, all about the money. They didn't send an invoice or notify us about some overdue fees once we had taken our child out of the company. We received absolutely no communication or invoices about this payment so we were not aware that we had overdue fees, which would have been no problem to pay. Within 5 days notice of the first notification that we had overdue fees, the company sent on to a debt collection, even though we'd had no previous communication from them before this 5 day period. Avoid this company: 0 communication, and chance to be sent onto debt collectors with less than a weeks warning

20 February 2025
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for providing your feedback and letting us know about this issue. We appreciate your feedback and would like to express our sincere concern regarding the situation you've described. if you have any further details or if there's anything specific you would like to discuss, please contact our customer service team at ukcomplaints@brighthorizons.com to provide additional details.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My daughter attended Bright Horizons…

My daughter attended Bright Horizons Coulsdon and we would definitely recommend the nursery to parents. The care and service within the nursery is wonderful, the staff are very friendly, the management team are always very supportive. My daughter is always encouraged to try a variety of foods from the Bright Horizons menu. My daughter has various opportunities to explore within her room and her learning and development is always supported. Her achievements are celebrated and we have great parent partnership with her Key Person.

31 August 2024
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for sharing your experience. We are delighted to receive your positive feedback and we're thrilled to hear your daughter is thriving at our nursery.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I worked for BH for a year

I worked for BH Purley for a year. This place has no integrity. Your promised one thing but the minute you leave the standards and care your are promised are not upheld by the manager. Only concerned about the operation of the nursery when they have visitors. My child also attended the nursery. He was 2 years old when staff decided to diagnose him with ADHD. After informing the manager she expressed no concerns , instead Justified the action of the staff. I left the job role, withdrew my child. The staff are more valued than the children.

30 September 2024
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for sharing you experience with us and we are aware of your case. If the Regional Director can assist you further, or if you have any additional information you would like us to be aware of please contact ukcomplaints@brighthorizons.com

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Inefficient

I used back up care via my workplan but BH never paid the nursery despite chasing for almost four months. In the end I just had to settle with cash.

28 August 2024
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Dear Natalie, Thank you for providing your feedback and letting us know about this issue. We would like to delve into this deeper and correct this mistake. Please could you contact our parentenquiry team at 0330 433 2460 or parentenquiry@brighthorizons.com with the details. We are committed to resolving this matter to your satisfaction and appreciate your patience.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

AVOID

I worked for BH Hinkley for a brief time.
Children from Black and Ethnic minority backgrounds are ignored. Spoken to in a noticeably harsher tone than other children. And left in soiled nappies or wet pants until hometime.
If you are of Black or Ethnic minority background please do not send your children here. They will not be safe. The racial bias from staff extends to staff too not just the children. Please be mindful of this when applying for a job here

21 October 2024
Unprompted review
Bright Horizons UK logo

Reply from Bright Horizons UK

Thank you for sharing your experience. We'd like to delve deeper into this matter. Please get in touch at 0330 433 2460 or parentenquiry@brighthorizons.com to discuss further.

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