Partou Chiltern Avenue Day Nursery & Pre-School

Garden fences became painting surfaces in December 2023, when children used water and brushes outdoors. That small detail captures the practical, playful character of this Amersham nursery’s day at the time.

Partou Chiltern Avenue Day Nursery & Pre-School has 50 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. Ofsted rated it Good at its December 2023 inspection. The strongest details were personal routines for babies, conversation woven into play and experiences beyond the nursery building.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care: everyday play supports communication, movement and relationships. In December 2023, children explored pretend cooking, with factual cookery books helping staff develop their interests. Books had a practical purpose alongside storytelling.

Weekly library visits were part of the day’s wider possibilities in December 2023, while meetings with older people at a nearby care home introduced children to their community. These experiences gave learning a setting beyond the nursery itself.

During that same month, babies heard gentle conversation and songs, while older children practised talking with visitors. Outdoors, children ran together in the garden and experimented with water painting. Personal, social and emotional development also shaped preparation for moving on to school.

In December 2023, baby-room staff worked with parents to follow each baby’s routines, and settling sessions introduced families to their child’s key person. Daily conversations and development reports kept parents involved. For a family leaving a baby in care, the useful detail is the connection between home routines and the adults providing care.

At the December 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised the support for children’s health, including sleep arrangements and attention to dietary needs. A nursery chef prepared meals at that time, working with parents and staff on children’s food requirements.

Staff also used familiar family experiences in December 2023, such as the arrival of a new sibling, to talk about feelings and caring for others. Emotional learning was connected to children’s own lives.

The address is 29 Chiltern Avenue, Amersham, HP6 5AE. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In December 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated participation statement rather than a promise about a family’s present entitlement or booking.

• Toddler-room interactions. In December 2023, staff deployment sometimes left toddlers with less help to develop their play, and some became restless. On a visit, ask how adults now support children during those parts of the day.
• Consistency of teaching. In December 2023, practice varied between staff, and stronger monitoring and coaching were needed. Ask how coaching translates into consistent interactions across the nursery.

Chiltern Avenue merits consideration by families seeking care from babyhood onwards in Amersham. Its December 2023 combination of individual baby routines, books and community experiences gives parents concrete reasons to consider it. The balance is teaching consistency: the same month’s findings make adult involvement in toddler play a central decision point.