Bright Horizons West Hampstead Day Nursery and Preschool

Aparna Subramanian

8 months ago

As a family who has been part of this nursery community for over a year, starting when our child was just 10 months old, the experience has been truly special. The team consistently makes our child feel safe, happy, and excited for each day, nurturing their development with genuine care and attention. We’ve witnessed thoughtful communication, a warm learning environment, and a staff that goes above and beyond in supporting both children and parents—giving us the confidence and comfort that our child is thriving in the very best hands.

Licia V.

8 months ago

Following on from what has already been shared about Bright Horizons JW3 (now closed), we feel it’s important to add our own experience and perspective. Our family was also directly affected, and our repeated attempts to raise concerns were dismissed by the nursery’s management for nearly a year. While the police arrested and found the main subject guilty — with the wider investigation into the recordings still ongoing — we had already been reporting troubling incidents that were consistently brushed aside. When we sought answers, staff ignored us, and we later learned that serious issues raised by us and other parents, including concerns about specific individuals, were never acted upon. What is equally worrying is that some of the staff who were present in the room during these events, including the lead teacher, have since been transferred to other Bright Horizons nurseries — some even to the West Hampstead branches. This decision is extremely concerning and raises the question of whether lessons have truly been learned, or whether risks have simply been relocated. Other forms of mistreatment were also part of daily life at JW3. I personally witnessed my child being dragged along corridors. On another occasion, I found staff letting my child watch cartoons on iPads during nursery hours, with the justification that it would keep him quiet so as not to wake others sleeping. There was also a repeated pattern of rudeness and dismissiveness towards us as parents, and on several occasions my son came home with his clothes cut with scissors — something he insisted the teachers had done. At the time, I could not believe such a thing was possible, but looking back, it adds to the disturbing picture. These behaviours point to a much wider culture of negligence, not just the actions of one individual. Our child, incredibly happy and social, suddenly began showing reluctance to go to nursery. We now understand this was a reaction to what was happening inside. What pains us most is the trust we placed in Bright Horizons — and the guilt we carry knowing that every morning we dropped our little one into their hands, believing he was safe, while in reality he was being mistreated. It is a feeling I would not wish on my worst enemy. The silence and lack of transparency from Bright Horizons made this experience even more traumatic. We did not learn the truth from the nursery itself but from other parents. We do want to acknowledge that there were caring staff who made a positive difference over the years. However, the scale of the safeguarding failures, the way warnings were ignored, and the fact that staff implicated were simply moved elsewhere show that Bright Horizons has not taken full responsibility. Families considering any of their nurseries — especially those under the same leadership — deserve to know this history before making their decision. I would give a zero star if I could

Yolandi Moreira

6 years ago

Asquith West Hampstead has been a very important part of our lives for the last two years. They have welcomed our daughter Lily with open arms and she absolutely loved all the members of staff. We always felt that the feeling was mutual. We will miss them dearly and are very sad to be leaving, but we will be eternally grateful for all they did to make Lily’s education up to this point so exceptional. We will recommend anyone to send their kids there as we never felt that we didn’t receive top quality service.

Sadete

4 years ago

I was trying to put my child in this nursery and they gave me different information every time I would ask them to arrange a appointment so I can register my child.

Nagi Kabour

10 years ago

Such a lovely team and very friendly I can only recommend it.