Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Princes Risborough

A breakfast bar overlooking the kitchen gives children a view of food preparation at Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Princes Risborough. Alongside Cooking club, led by the nursery chef, it makes food part of the learning day. Separate outdoor areas for toddlers and preschool children, plus a sensory room, give this nursery at Redvale House a recognisable character.

At its March 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and praised the targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The improvement priority was more freedom for children to develop their own learning ideas. That distinction matters: adult encouragement was evident, but sometimes adult conversation redirected children's chosen play.

The nursery accepts children from three months to five years and has capacity for 52 children in total. Flexible sessions come with a minimum booking of two sessions per child.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room is described as cosy, while the toddler room caters for children from 22 months to three years, with a home corner and creative station supporting pretend play and making. For children aged three to five, the pre-school includes the breakfast bar overlooking the kitchen, where children can help the chef and discuss food preparation.

The sensory room adds another space beyond the age-group rooms. These different environments give families concrete things to assess: the younger child's play resources, the older child's opportunities to take part in everyday tasks, and the use made of the additional room.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum guides learning and development through play and experiences across the areas of learning. Practitioners track children's development and plan enrichment around individual needs, so the day is intended to build on what each child can already do rather than treat the age group as one uniform stage.

Cooking club is run by the nursery chef, connecting the activity with the person preparing the food. The kitchen-facing breakfast bar gives that connection a physical setting: children can participate and talk about what they will eat. This is an everyday subject made accessible to preschool children.

In March 2025, activities included scooter riding, matching colours, counting objects and planting sunflower seeds. Adults demonstrated physical skills and introduced vocabulary through conversation. Planting brought together soil, water and sunlight, giving children a practical example of what living things need.

The same visit highlighted a limit to adult involvement. Conversations sometimes moved play away from children's original intentions. For a parent who values children choosing and developing their own projects, the balance between helpful prompting and taking over is an important part of the nursery's teaching approach.

Outdoor and Community Life

Toddlers and preschool children have separate gardens. Toddlers use theirs at different times during the day; preschool children have free-flow access, allowing them to choose when to move outside. That gives the older children more control over where they play, rather than making every outdoor period a whole-group decision.

The nursery also works with its nearby baby nursery to support transitions between the settings. This partnership is relevant to families moving from that baby provision into the toddler or preschool stage.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2025, children showed affection towards staff and helped one another during play. Adults demonstrated manners through their interactions, making expectations part of ordinary conversation. The account of children encouraging their friends gives useful substance to the nursery's social life beyond a general description of friendliness.

Parents received regular updates about learning and development, and staff invited information about learning at home when planning what came next. This made communication a two-way exchange. For families, the practical value is being able to connect nursery activities with the child's interests and experiences outside it.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff adapted support for children's physical needs and worked with parents and outside agencies on targeted plans, helping children with SEND participate and make progress. The detail matters more than a broad assurance of inclusion: participation involved attentive help and coordination with the people already supporting the child.

During March 2025, children also practised serving themselves at snacks and meals, with adults sitting alongside them and talking about food. Everyday care routines therefore provided opportunities to practise personal skills as well as share conversation.

A chef prepares meals and snacks at the nursery each day, with seasonal lunches, adaptations for dietary requirements and support for babies' weaning. Staff undertake paediatric first aid training.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates for 51 weeks each year, closing for bank holidays and over Christmas. These hours provide the operating window; flexible sessions are the booking arrangement, with a minimum of two sessions for each child.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, and visits can be booked. The minimum session commitment is worth weighing against the pattern of care a family wants, especially where nursery attendance needs to fit around other regular arrangements.

Getting There

The address is Redvale House, New Road, Princes Risborough, HP27 0JN. The nursery's toddler and preschool gardens are separate, so outdoor provision can be considered alongside the rooms rather than as a single shared space.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2025, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families considering paid childcare should obtain a current written quotation covering their intended attendance.

• Children's own ideas. The March 2025 improvement priority concerned independent learning, with adults sometimes redirecting play. On a visit, ask how staff now help children extend an idea while keeping the child in charge of it.
• The toddler age boundary. The toddler room caters from 22 months, and the nursery works with its nearby baby setting on transitions. Ask how a move is timed around your child's needs and which room would provide their care.
• Flexible attendance. Each child must attend at least two sessions. Discuss how the flexible booking arrangement would fit the care pattern you need before committing.

Ashbourne at Princes Risborough suits families seeking flexible sessions and who value practical learning through food preparation, creative play and access to age-group gardens. The preschool breakfast bar brings food preparation into children's learning, while chef-led Cooking club adds to the nursery's food-related activities. The March 2025 picture also included responsive support and useful exchanges with parents. The question to carry into a visit is how much room children now have to pursue their own ideas, alongside the activities adults plan.