Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Little Lever

A drama room, space for climbing and soft play, and a large garden give Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Little Lever a clear emphasis on active, imaginative play. The two-storey building on Fletcher Street accommodates babies through to preschool children, with separate rooms for different stages. Physical play has its own space here.

At its August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found that responsive care supported children's emotional development and judged safeguarding effective. The practical strengths included conversation around books, opportunities to manage everyday tasks and familiar relationships with staff. There was also an improvement point: staff needed deeper understanding of how young children learn so that activities could be adapted more effectively.

The nursery has 45 places in total and accepts children from 3 months. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year.

Rooms and Ages

Babies has a heading age band of 6–18 months, while its description also refers to children aged 0–2; a separate sleep room allows rest to take place away from the main activity space. That physical separation is a useful detail for families weighing up baby care.

Rising 2s, for 18–24 months, combines resources suited to this stage with opportunities to explore other parts of the nursery and practise larger movements in the garden.

Toddlers, for children aged 2 to 3 years, uses the main room with free access to the garden, connecting indoor activities with outdoor play.

Pre-school, for ages 3 to 5 years, emphasises increasing independence and activities that prepare children for their next educational stage.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and care: children develop through play, with experiences supporting different areas of development. At Little Lever, the climbing and soft play room adds a physical outlet, while the drama room creates space for imaginative activity. These are concrete facilities to weigh alongside the age-group rooms.

In August 2024, adults used frequent stories and conversations about illustrations to introduce vocabulary. Children also chose books for themselves during quieter periods. Language learning was woven into ordinary interactions, rather than confined to a single organised activity.

Everyday independence had practical expression at that time. Children practised dressing themselves and gathering what they needed for meals, while water play let them make decisions about their own activity. Dancing offered another way to explore movement and creativity. Together, these examples show how the day combined adult guidance with opportunities for children to take the lead.

Outdoor and Community Life

A large garden and enclosed outdoor play space extend the nursery beyond its indoor rooms. The Toddlers room's free access to the garden is especially relevant for children who enjoy moving between activities. Rising 2s also uses the garden for physical development, so outdoor play forms part of the progression between stages.

Relationships and Communication

Settling periods are tailored to the individual child, rather than treated as an identical process for everyone. This makes the child's response central to the move into nursery care. The practical question for a family is how that individual plan will work for their baby or toddler.

In August 2024, a consistent staff team gave families familiar adults to build relationships with. Daily conversations at handover were supplemented by summaries of children's development and suggestions for activities at home. That combination gave parents both immediate information and a longer view of what their child was learning.

Ashbourne's group-wide communication arrangements, described for this branch, include an app carrying updates about activities and toileting, with the child's educational plan accessible in the same system. It offers another route for keeping track of the day alongside conversations with staff.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with external agencies to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities access early help. This is a specific support mechanism, rather than a blanket promise about every child's experience.

During that month, adults explained turn-taking and helped children think about their own emotions and other people's feelings. Social learning therefore included both practical behaviour and emotional understanding. The separate sleep room in Babies provides another tangible element of care for the youngest children.

Seasonal lunches and snacks are provided, with support for babies' weaning and individual dietary requirements. Ashbourne's group-wide menu arrangements, described for Little Lever, use Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer menus, giving food a seasonal pattern.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 7 Fletcher Street, Little Lever, Bolton, BL3 1HW. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm and operates for 51 weeks each year, closing for bank holidays and over Christmas. The Christmas closure matters for families arranging care around work throughout the year.

New-parent enquiries use 0800 699 00 44, and a visit-booking route is offered. The contact form includes a proposed start date and requested sessions, allowing families to explain their intended attendance when making an enquiry.

Funding and Paid Extras

In August 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated account of participation, rather than a guarantee of eligibility or a particular funded attendance arrangement for an individual family.

• Staff understanding of learning. The August 2024 improvement point concerned recognising how different children learn and choosing strategies that extend their understanding. On a visit, ask how staff development now changes activities for children with different starting points.
• The youngest babies. Children can start from 3 months, while Babies has a 6–18-month heading and a broader 0–2 description. Ask how a younger baby's room placement, settling and sleep routine are organised.
• Attendance across the year. The 51-week calendar includes Christmas and bank-holiday closures. Discuss the attendance pattern you need alongside those closures, particularly if your work continues through holiday periods.

Little Lever suits families who value physical and imaginative play alongside separate spaces for different ages. The climbing and soft play room, drama room and garden make that preference concrete; the baby sleep room adds a practical care detail. Its weekday opening window and operation across most of the year will also matter to working families.

The August 2024 judgement provides a positive assessment, balanced by a clear development priority around adapting teaching to how children learn. For parents, the most useful next step is to see how that work connects with the room and activities their child would use.