Bright Beginnings Curriculum
Understand what we do, how we nurture and inspire your child as they learn and grow with us.
Five Key Areas of Learning
At Bright Horizons learning isn’t confined to separate subjects - just like life, it’s a rich, overlapping journey filled with discovery, curiosity, and growth.
Our curriculum has five distinct areas to guide learning, seamlessly integrating these elements into activities that nurture practical and life skills. Going beyond the academic foundations of the Early Years Foundation Stage, we focus on problem-solving, critical thinking, emotional resilience and social skills as much as maths, reading and writing.
Our approach is so much more than a curriculum, it's our way of nurturing your whole child, giving them the skills and foundations to thrive. Find out more about our Nurture Approach here.
Feelings & Friendships
In our nurseries, emotional wellbeing isn’t an afterthought - it’s the starting point. We help little ones find their words, make their very first friends, and learn that feelings, big or small, are always welcome.
We know that children’s experiences are beautifully tangled together, so we’ve created an environment that mirrors just that: open-ended, overlapping adventures where emotions are explored, named, and begin to be understood. As they toddle along this path of self-discovery, children begin to understand the importance of kindness, the joy of working (and playing) together, and the comfort of caring for one another. With every giggle, story shared, and game played, they discover how to care, co-operate, and connect with those around them.
Sharing Thoughts & Ideas
Every child has something unique to say, and we’re all ears! Sharing thoughts, ideas, and the occasional wild dinosaur story is all part of growing up - and growing confident. Whether it's through make-believe adventures, storytelling sessions, or just one of our heart-to-heart chats, we create spaces where children feel safe and excited to express themselves. By encouraging every idea, every giggle, every “I think…”, we help them discover their own voice - ensure they feel heard and learn the joy of listening to others too.
We're here to help children become confident communicators - curious, articulate, and ready to take on the world one word (or babble) at a time.
Technical & Life Skills
Imagine a toddler trying to put together a puzzle, but the pieces don’t fit quite right. Instead of giving up, they pause, think for a moment, and try a new way - this is emotional resilience at work. Yes, numbers and letters are important, but so is solving problems, thinking creatively, working together, and learning to try, and try again.
Our curriculum aims to equip children with a balanced skill set that empowers them to thrive, making sure they’re ready to take on today’s challenges (and beyond) with confidence and keep going until they succeed.
Thinking Creatively
In all of our spaces, you’ll discover entire kingdoms built from cardboard boxes, pirate ships sailing across rug-covered oceans, and stories written in paint and giggles.
Our educators are guides, gently encouraging every “what if” and “why not?” that bubbles up in a child’s mind.
In this open-ended, play-rich environment, children learn far more than how to draw or build - they learn how to think. Whether they're problem-solving how to balance a tower of cushions or inventing a new rule for a group game, they’re developing their flexible, imaginative thinking.
Exploring & Learning About My World
From the moment they can crawl, children are little explorers - picking things up, asking “What’s this?” and wondering, “What can I do with it?”. These small questions lead to big discoveries.
Whether they’re squishing mud between their fingers or watching bread rise from a mix of flour, water and yeast, children are learning about their world in the best way possible - by experiencing it.
Our Bright Beginnings Curriculum is designed to spark this natural curiosity and help children grow into confident scientists, builders, bakers, doctors... or maybe even all of the above!
And because looking after the planet is just as important as exploring it, we introduce the idea of sustainability early on. Children learn to care for their world through joyful, hands-on experiences - like planting seeds, sorting recycling, or heading out for Forest School adventures.
Boogie Mites
Boogie Mites' approach to early years music is rooted in the science of how young children learn and grow.
Their sessions are filled with catchy songs and music, helping children explore rhythm, harmony, patterns, rhymes, phonics, early literacy, and numbers. By making their own instruments and props, children are encouraged to be creative, expressive, and confident in their learning.
Want to know more about life at Bright Horizons?
Download our Parent, Ready for School, and Funding brochures to discover what makes our nurseries special, how we prepare children for school, and the funding options available for your family.
Discover the Bright Horizons difference.
Find your local nursery here and let us show you around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Curriculum FAQs
While we follow the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, we go far beyond its requirements. Our Bright Beginnings Curriculum is designed to offer a rich, holistic learning experience that nurtures not only academic development but also emotional wellbeing, creativity, and social skills.
We place a strong emphasis on emotional wellbeing, recognising it as the foundation for all learning. Children in our care are supported in understanding and managing their feelings, building resilience, confidence, and self-esteem. Through activities that encourage self-awareness, expression, problem-solving, and critical thinking, we help build emotional development alongside cognitive growth.
Our curriculum is built around the way children naturally learn - through curiosity, connection, and exploration. The five key areas of learning (Feelings and Friendships, Thinking Creatively, Technical and Life Skills, Sharing Thoughts and Ideas, Learning About My World) are fully integrated, so that one activity often leads to discoveries across multiple domains. This holistic approach helps children develop a deeper understanding of the world and a lasting love for learning.
Our curriculum in Scotland aligns with the national approach to Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) - a commitment to helping every child grow up feeling safe, loved, and respected, with the support they need to reach their full potential. We work closely with families to ensure you receive the right help, at the right time, from the right people.
For children under three, we blend the Pre-Birth to Three: Positive Outcomes for Scotland’s Children and Families framework with our Bright Beginnings Curriculum, to deliver holistic, nurturing, play-based experiences that support the very earliest stages of development.
For children aged three and above, we follow the Curriculum for Excellence, which offers a broad and balanced education. It focuses on developing essential skills for learning, life, and work, with a strong emphasis on literacy, numeracy, and wellbeing. Children are encouraged to lead active, healthy lives while exploring their creativity and curiosity in a meaningful and engaging way.
As part of our partnership with parents, our Family App keeps you updated with daily photos, observations, and activity updates. You’ll also receive regular progress reports and have opportunities to discuss your child’s development with their Key Person.
Our curriculum has been developed by our early childhood specialists. They blend research in Early Years education, care and child neuroscience, national guidelines, and real-world teaching experience to create a well-rounded, engaging learning experience. Our curriculum has also been independently verified by Ofsted.
We are proud to provide inclusive settings where every child is valued, supported, and encouraged to thrive, recognising their individual needs or background.
Our approach to inclusion is rooted in The Nurture Approach, which ensures all children receive personalised support. Nursery teams are trained to recognise and celebrate each child's unique strengths, while also identifying areas where they may benefit from a little extra help. Each child has a Key Person who provides a secure, trusting relationship that helps them feel safe, understood, and included.
We understand that some children may need additional support at specific points in their development, while others may require ongoing assistance. Every one of our nurseries has a dedicated SEND practitioner who works with both parents and our team to provide tailored, compassionate care for your child.
If you have a child with additional needs, please contact the manager at your local nursery who will be happy to discuss how we can work with you to support your little one.
Yes, absolutely. Our Bright Beginnings Curriculum is designed to build the core skills your child needs for a confident start at school, including communication, independence, emotional wellbeing, early literacy and numeracy, and social interaction.
A key part of this is our unique Ready for School Programme, which includes Growing Enhancement activities focused on the core areas of Growing Readers, Growing Writers, Growing Mathematicians, Growing Scientists and Growing Ecologists. Each area is carefully crafted to be fun and purposeful, helping your child build practical skills as well as emotional readiness. Through real-life experiences, engaging learning opportunities, and a nurturing environment, we help your child feel confident, capable, and excited about taking their next big step into school and beyond.
The Nurture Approach is our overall philosophy and framework for supporting every aspect of a child’s development - emotionally, socially, and academically. It’s grounded in the belief that children thrive when they feel safe, valued, and understood. This approach shapes everything we do; from the way we build relationships to how we design our learning environments.
Within this nurturing framework sits our Bright Beginnings Curriculum - a key part of The Nurture Approach that focuses specifically on children’s learning and development. It provides a rich, play-based educational experience that supports early literacy, numeracy, creativity, critical thinking, and understanding of the world. It’s designed to align with national frameworks, while also being flexible enough to meet each child’s individual needs and interests.
In short, The Nurture Approach is the foundation for how we care for and support children, and the Bright Beginnings Curriculum is how we bring learning to life within that nurturing environment.
What would you like to explore next?
The Nurture Approach
Our holistic, research-backed approach nurtures emotional wellbeing, inspires learning, and provides exceptional care - supporting your child’s development every step of the way.
Food and Mealtimes
Nutritious and delicious – find out how our mealtimes encourage independence, and a love of good food.
Outdoor Adventures
Whether they’re chasing butterflies, building castles in the sand, or imagining jungles in the trees, in our nurseries, every day is a new adventure in discovering the world around them.
Your Baby's Day
Babies are on a big adventure - gently exploring, building trust, and feeling safe with the people around them. That sense of security gives them the confidence to reach out, crawl, and start discovering the world.
Your Toddler's Day
Racing, crashing, whirling, twirling. Play is the ‘work’ of children, that’s why our activities enable them to learn about themselves, express their creativity, and start to develop key skills.
Your Preschooler's Day
Whether they're chatty and confident or a little shy and unsure, time in our preschool will help your child to find their feet, make friends, and start discovering the world around them.
