Ashfield House Day Nursery & Pre-School, Stewart Close

A mini fort outdoors and a sensory room indoors give Ashfield House’s Stewart Close setting two very different spaces for play. At the 2 March 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded inclusion Strong standard and the other assessed areas Expected standard, confirmed that safeguarding standards were met, and found rapid progress among children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This Bradford nursery has capacity for 78 children, with a current age range of 2 to 59 months. Separate age groups take children through babyhood, toddler play and preschool preparation. The practical appeal includes meals and everyday changing supplies within the private fee, alongside a key person who connects care, activities and communication with home.

There is an important qualification to that picture. In March 2026, teaching and routines varied between rooms, and leaders needed to make both more consistent. Families should weigh the inclusion findings alongside those improvement priorities rather than treating the inspection as an unqualified endorsement.

Rooms and Ages

Babies explore sound, texture and light using low furnishings that support reaching and pulling up; dream coracles offer sleep or retreat spaces. Movement and rest each have their place.

Toddlers and Tweenies have changing resources as their abilities develop, with an emphasis on choosing activities, recognising tiredness and helping put things away. Pre-schoolers work towards greater independence, collaboration, problem-solving and confident communication in a large room. Across the age-group rooms, construction, pretend play, messy activities and quieter corners give children different ways to spend their time.

The age bands are Babies (newborn to approximately 18 months), Toddlers (approximately 18 months to 2 years), Tweenies (2 to 3 years) and Pre-schoolers (3 to 5 years).

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the statutory framework covering children’s learning and care: in daily life, it means developing communication, movement, relationships and early understanding through play and adult support. Ashfield’s shared curriculum approach uses Development Matters, guidance about how children develop and what practitioners can help them learn next. It is a planning reference, rather than an additional branded programme.

Children’s choices and adult-led activities shape a loosely organised day of singing, building, stories, painting, pretend play, outdoor time and rest. Group conversations about home experiences connect nursery activities with children’s interests.

In March 2026, baby-room practitioners described babies’ actions and allowed time for a response, while preschool story work included Little Lou and the Woolly Mammoth to explore friendship and feelings. Counting toys and discussing shapes brought mathematical language into play. These examples show how conversation can run through activities rather than being confined to a separate language session.

The same month, unclear learning intentions sometimes limited children’s skill development. Staff needed a more consistent understanding of the curriculum across rooms. The adult’s contribution matters as much as the resources.

Outdoor and Community Life

Stewart Close has a mini fort. Shared outdoor provision includes a mud kitchen, planting containers, artificial grass and an all-weather hard surface. Supplied waterproofs and children’s freedom to move between indoor and outdoor play keep outside activity part of everyday life.

The group’s Sensory Room combines a bubble tube, projected star effects and music, creating a different kind of space from the active garden. In March 2026, children also visited a local library and selected books themselves. The library was an extension of their reading experiences, with children making choices beyond the nursery’s own shelves.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person, regardless of attendance frequency. Observing play, planning around interests and maintaining contact with parents connects care, learning and home life.

Initial settling sessions last approximately two hours, and parents may stay while their child becomes familiar with the surroundings and key person. Extra settling days can be arranged when a child needs longer. This allows the starting process to respond to the individual child rather than requiring every family to follow the same pace.

ParentZone, the group’s parent app, connects with iConnect for photographs, videos, activity records and sharing home moments. Daily handovers cover sleep, eating, drinks, toileting, activities and emotional wellbeing, giving parents practical detail alongside learning updates.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its March 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that SEND support combined professional advice, parental involvement, additional staffing and carefully adapted activities, including movement breaks during meals and use of the sensory room to help children manage emotions. This was the substance behind the Strong standard inclusion judgement, rather than a general statement that everyone was welcome.

Individual play plans are developed with parents and other professionals, connecting their advice and knowledge of the child with nursery activities.

Young babies’ sleep follows their home routine as discussed with parents. Older children can rest during the day, while those who do not sleep have quieter activities; tired children are allowed to sleep when they need to. A comforter or favourite dummy can come from home. These arrangements make sleep preferences part of the care conversation rather than something separate from settling.

An on-site cook prepares meals using a three-week menu cycle, with seasonal changes every six months. The nursery has a nut-free food policy and makes arrangements for dietary requirements and allergies, which allergy-affected families should discuss in detail before attendance.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Ashfield House, Stewart Close, Eccleshill, Bradford, BD2 2EE. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email. Full-day childcare is offered, and opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year.

Bank holidays and the Christmas break require alternative care. Christmas closure runs from 2pm on Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, including an early finish that afternoon.

Fees are spread into equal monthly payments, with standing order the preferred payment method. Booked sessions remain payable when a child is absent, including sickness and holidays, and bank holidays before Christmas week are charged normally. A missed day therefore does not reduce the childcare bill.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered to eligible children from nine months, for up to 15 to 30 hours a week. Private full-day care is also offered. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their own attendance pattern and funding arrangement.

The private fee includes food and drinks, nappies, wipes, nappy cream, milk and formula unless prescribed, plus a personalised nursery bag; the inclusive daily provision also covers sun cream. These inclusions reduce the supplies parents need to replenish. There is a non-refundable registration charge, so the written terms deserve attention before committing.

• Consistency between rooms. March 2026 improvement priorities concerned the purpose of planned activities and the way daily routines supported children. During a tour, ask how staff now make transitions predictable and explain what a particular activity is intended to teach.
• Your child’s care pattern. Babies’ sleep is agreed with parents, and additional settling days can be arranged. Ask how the key person would combine your child’s home routine with room changes and growing independence.
• Closures and paid absences. Bank holidays and the Christmas break affect care, while sickness, holidays and most bank holidays remain chargeable. Build those terms into the family budget and care calendar.
• Dietary needs and funded costs. A nut-free policy and inclusive private fees are useful starting points. Confirm current allergy procedures and request a written breakdown of what applies to your child’s funded attendance, including food and consumables.

Ashfield House at Stewart Close suits families seeking full-day childcare across the working week, with everyday supplies included in private fees and several ways to stay connected with their child’s day. The mini fort, sensory space and child-led play give the setting concrete character; tailored settling and individual play plans add practical decision value.

The March 2026 findings make inclusion its clearest strength, but consistency in teaching and routines remains the central consideration. Families should give the child’s intended room as much attention as the nursery’s overall facilities. The best fit will depend on how that room combines purposeful play, predictable routines and the child’s individual care needs.