Ingrebourne Neighbourhood Nursery

Weekly Spanish for older children, separate gardens for different ages and room moves agreed with parents give Ingrebourne Neighbourhood Nursery a recognisable character. This Ashbourne Road setting in Romford combines space for physical play with a programme shaped partly by children’s interests. There is room for quieter activity too, including books and a daily rest period.

At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement rather than a description of every aspect of today’s provision. The improvement priorities concerned guidance for learning at home and more precisely targeted staff development, both useful subjects for parents assessing how teaching and communication work now.

The nursery has 72 places in total and accepts children from birth to 60 months. Full Day, Extended Day and hourly Flexible Care provide different ways to organise attendance.

Rooms and Ages

Four named rooms divide the nursery by developmental stage: Butterflies Room accommodates babies up to 18 months; Ladybirds Room serves children aged one to two; Bumble Bees Room covers two to three; and Grasshoppers Room serves three- and four-year-olds. These are age groupings, not promises about the number of children sharing a room on a particular day.

Room changes are handled individually. A child’s development is considered alongside discussions with parents and their key person, with time to settle into the next room. For a child who needs longer to become comfortable with a change, that makes readiness part of the decision rather than treating a birthday as an automatic moving date.

Library Areas and computers are provided across the rooms. A separate meeting room gives families somewhere private to talk with staff, while accessible toilets are among the practical facilities. The emphasis is on usable space as well as play equipment.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care, including communication, physical skills and independence. Here, children develop these through play, planned activities and everyday routines. Children’s interests influence planning, and older children select a monthly theme. That gives them a say in what they explore while staff plan activities around individual development.

Weekly Spanish lessons are part of the normal curriculum for three- and four-year-olds. This adds a regular language activity to the week rather than leaving it as an occasional special event. The daily programme also includes construction, painting, dough and water play, so children encounter materials that invite different kinds of exploration.

In December 2022, physical activity included balancing on beams, jumping into hoops and using wheeled vehicles outdoors. Babies had a large ball pool indoors. Books also featured across age groups, with adults encouraging older children to remember story characters and familiar phrases. These examples connect movement, listening and conversation to ordinary nursery activities.

Independence has a practical place in the day. In December 2022, children practised managing coats, serving themselves water and eating for themselves. Older children also considered hazards in the garden. The value lies in rehearsing small tasks and decisions that children can increasingly manage themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two outdoor gardens give younger children and the preschool group their own play areas. Outdoor activity is part of the daily routine, rather than reserved for trips. Separating the spaces allows the equipment and activity to be arranged around different stages of development.

Past outings have included Old MacDonald’s Farm, library storytelling and shopping for cooking ingredients. A visit to B & Q supplied vegetable seeds for a project connecting growing with preparing food. These examples give trips a purpose beyond a change of scene, although they should not be read as a fixed future itinerary.

Wellgate Farm has brought animals to the nursery, and a Food Lab visit involved children making smoothies while learning about fruit and vegetables. Other visitors have included a dentist, firefighter and librarian. Those experiences bring unfamiliar work and practical skills into children’s play and conversations.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is paced around the child. Parents can remain during settling sessions until their child is comfortable being left, and a familiar blanket or soft toy can come from home. Families working towards a return-to-work date are encouraged to allow time for this adjustment. The arrangement recognises that starting nursery is a process, rather than a single handover.

Children have a key person, with opportunities for parents to discuss development. A portfolio of observations and work goes home when a child leaves, providing both a keepsake and information for the next setting. Parents and relatives can also contribute storytelling, cooking or other skills, giving family participation a practical place in nursery life.

In December 2022, information about children’s progress was shared with parents, but guidance for continuing learning at home was inconsistent. More specific staff development was another improvement priority. These points matter together: parents need usable ideas, and practitioners need training that strengthens the teaching behind them.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that support for children with SEND was effective, with information exchanged with other professionals to inform next steps. Current support arrangements include discussions with the nursery SENCo, parental involvement in requests for external help and individual education plans where appropriate. A Health Care Plan can organise support for a child with a specific medical diagnosis, including relevant staff training and a meeting before attendance begins.

Elklan and Wellcomm Speech & Language Programmes are used by trained staff to support children with delayed speech and language. The nursery has also accessed speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy support. These are mechanisms for planning help around an individual child, rather than a general promise that every need can be met in the same way.

The building is on one level, with wide doorways, wheelchair access and an accessible toilet. School transition can include visits to the new school, teachers visiting the nursery and a meeting involving the people supporting the child. This provides opportunities to exchange information before a change of setting.

Daily quiet time allows children who need sleep to use a cot or sleep mat; others can read or choose a puzzle. Each room has a supervisor and deputy, while staff induction, development training and annual appraisal form part of the team’s support arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Ashbourne Road, Romford, RM3 7YT. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation excluding Bank Holidays.

Full Day runs from 9am to 3pm, while Extended Day runs from 8am to 6pm. Flexible Care is booked by the hour, including arrangements that change from week to week. A single day can be booked; there is no requirement to take several days each week. The distinction matters when comparing a shorter regular day with care covering a longer working day or a variable timetable.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01708 379 880 or by email at info@ingrebournedaynursery.com. Registration can be completed online or using a paper form. Fees are paid in advance, with the payment timing determined by the contract.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers EEE funding for three- and four-year-olds and the 2YO offer for eligible two-year-olds. Funded childcare and privately paid care are separate parts of the booking decision; current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

Meals and refreshments carry a separate charge when care is booked outside the Full Day or Extended Day structure. Within those day options, lunch and snacks are provided for Full Day, with breakfast and tea also provided for Extended Day. This makes the attendance pattern relevant to the food arrangement as well as the hours.

A resident cook prepares the food, generally using a four-week menu rotation. Specific dietary requirements can be accommodated, and the daily menu is displayed for parents.

A deposit secures an offered place and is refundable when the child leaves, subject to the terms and conditions. Families therefore need to consider the contract alongside the ongoing attendance cost.

Getting There

Nearby parking is on the road, with considerate parking requested in the residential streets. Bus services 256, 174 and 294 connect with Romford and Collier Row, giving families an alternative to driving.

• Choosing the room. The youngest age bands overlap, and moves depend on development and consultation. During the visit, discuss which room would be the starting point and how a later move would be settled.
• Learning beyond nursery. December 2022 improvement priorities included home-learning guidance and targeted staff development. Ask for an example of the advice families receive and how staff training supports it.
• Booking sequence. An initial appointment and completed registration form precede entry onto the waiting list; a deposit then secures an offered place, with repayment subject to conditions. Plan settling time alongside that sequence.
• The complete quotation. Flexible bookings have separate food charges, while funded childcare has its own eligibility conditions. What does the proposed funded or private booking include for meals and non-food supplies?

Full Day (9am to 3pm), Extended Day (8am to 6pm) and hourly Flexible Care suit different attendance needs at Ingrebourne. Its practical appeal comes from that choice alongside individual room transitions, separate outdoor spaces and weekly Spanish for older children.

The December 2022 Good judgement provides a useful benchmark, with home-learning communication and staff development the areas to examine closely. For families seeking gradual settling and a clear route to discussing additional support, the key-person arrangements, SENCo process and private meeting space give concrete reasons to consider it.