Aston Pierpoint Nursery and Preschool

A dedicated baby garden, a separate room for sleep and woodland learning for older toddlers give Aston Pierpoint Nursery and Preschool a clear character: different stages of childhood have different spaces. At 34 Priory Road in Hampton, the youngest children have their own outdoor area, while toddlers have room for climbing, imaginative play and quieter moments. That separation matters for families weighing baby care against the needs of an increasingly energetic child.

At its 24 August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and found safeguarding effective. The judgement is dated, and its practical detail deserves attention alongside the current arrangements: relationships, language-rich play and growing independence were strengths, while toilet-training support and information exchanged with parents needed further attention.

Children start from three months, with baby groups covering 3–15 months and 16–24 months, followed by the Toddler Room for two- to three-year-olds. The preschool stage takes place at Aston House, a separate address. Full-day and half-day attendance sit alongside term-time and flexible booking patterns.

Rooms and Ages

Baby care has a quieter physical base: dedicated floors, a baby garden and places to snuggle with a bottle or a rhyme. A separate sleep room keeps rest apart from active play. For a family whose baby still follows a home routine, that is a useful distinction between somewhere to play and somewhere to settle down.

The Toddler Room combines an indoor soft play area with creative, pretend-play and quieter spaces, using singing, shared meals and group time to introduce a more predictable rhythm while retaining individual sleep and care routines. Children can move between active exploration and less stimulating play. Garden access adds another setting for movement rather than making physical activity depend entirely on indoor equipment.

Room changes take account of development. Babies move into toddler care at approximately 24 months, and the next stage begins at around 36 months. These are approximate transition points rather than a promise that every child moves on the same birthday. Families considering the whole early-years journey should also distinguish the Priory Road nursery from the preschool provision at Aston House.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children build language, physical skills and understanding through play, with observations shaping their next experiences. Here, the key person connects that framework to each child's interests. Play is therefore both something children choose and something practitioners use to plan what comes next.

Sustained Shared Thinking adds adult conversation that helps children connect ideas and work through problems. Montessori style learning sits alongside this, giving children opportunities to pursue interests through work they choose themselves. These are described practices within the EYFS, rather than a replacement for it. The practical question is how an adult extends a child's thinking while leaving room for that child's own decisions.

Treasure baskets in baby and toddler rooms contain everyday objects such as fabric, wooden spoons and natural sponges. Their value is concrete: children can investigate contrasting materials through handling and exploration. Mark-making also extends beyond pencils and paper to materials including sand and play dough, giving younger children ways to experiment before conventional writing becomes relevant.

In August 2022, toddlers used props while exploring The Gingerbread Man, recalling creatures and their sounds. Older children drew on family visits to London landmarks to make their own Tower Bridge, using movement to explore its shape. These examples show how a familiar story or experience can become a starting point for language and construction, rather than a separate activity with no connection to children's lives.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School offers older toddlers child-led learning outdoors, with sessions in woodland and other grounds reached by the nursery minibus. Children explore and make discoveries, with an adult supporting their choices and their understanding of risk. An allotment for fruit and vegetables adds a different connection with the natural world: growing things can become part of the nursery experience as well as outdoor play.

Specialist teachers also contribute activities during the nursery week. Local outings and timetable activities are included in fees, while additional outings and classes have a separate booking route. Trips require parental consent and are optional. For families, that means the everyday programme and a separately booked excursion need to be considered as different arrangements.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person and a buddy who shares responsibility. Other practitioners in the room also get to know the child, so familiarity extends beyond one adult. For babies, parental guidance informs feeding, weaning and sleeping routines; the aim is continuity between home and nursery rather than an immediate switch to one timetable for everyone.

Free settling sessions typically extend across two weeks, with up to a month offered when needed. Parents may stay while their child settles and can telephone for updates. This gives families time to build the relationship with practitioners as well as helping the child become familiar with the setting.

Observations can come from nursery or home, and family contributions help shape individual planning. Photographs, videos and examples of children's work contribute to that picture. Parent consultation meetings take place through the year, and families can request a formal progress discussion. This provides a route for a fuller conversation than a brief exchange at collection.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2022 inspection, Ofsted identified a need for more frequent toilet opportunities for children learning this skill and fuller conversations with parents at the start of sessions to inform each child's day. Both points are practical care issues. A child learning to use the toilet needs timely support, and information about sleep, appetite or how they have been at home can change what they need during a session.

Current toddler routines accommodate sleep, nappy changes and toilet training. Babies have their own bedding in the separate sleep room, and practitioners follow family guidance as their needs change. These arrangements make individual routines part of care rather than treating them as interruptions to activities.

A full-time chef prepares food on site using mainly organic ingredients, and the menu changes weekly; meals are included in fees. The nursery's dietary arrangements include vegetarian and dairy-free options, while its standard-menu allergen information identifies ingredients that may be present.

Staff undergo DBS checks and are required to complete paediatric first aid and food hygiene training. Each room has a manager and leader, with additional support practitioners and management support outside the room staffing count. These are arrangements for organising care and staff support; the dated safeguarding judgement remains the relevant assessment of effectiveness.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery address is 34 Priory Road, Hampton, TW12 2PD. Aston House Preschool is at 36 Percy Road, Hampton, TW12 2LA. The distinction matters when planning a child's move from nursery to preschool: it involves a different setting address, rather than simply the next room in the same building.

Full days run from 7.30am to 6.30pm, and half-day sessions are also offered. Extended attendance between 7am and 7pm provides another option. The nursery operates across 51 weeks, with weekday opening and closures at bank holidays and Christmas.

Term-time arrangements include 38-week and 45-week patterns, alongside flexible sessions and ad hoc bookings. Hampton Infants nursery wraparound is another attendance option. These choices serve different family calendars, so a term-time arrangement should be considered separately from an across-the-year booking.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0208 979 5005 or by email to nursery@astonpierpoint.com. Appointments to look around can be arranged. The free settling process then gives a separate period for becoming familiar with the nursery before the usual routine is established.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts 15 and 30 hours funding for children from nine months upwards. Private paid attendance is also offered. These are childcare options rather than a guarantee of a particular family's eligibility or booking pattern.

Meals, learning materials, daily specialist activities and local trips are included in fees. Baby families provide nappies, wipes and formula milk, with formula prepared at the nursery. That separates what is covered by the fee from supplies that need to come from home.

Specific additional trips and classes can be booked separately, including outings involving admission tickets or vehicle travel. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The useful distinction is between the included weekly programme and an additional activity a family chooses to book.

• Two addresses as children grow. Baby and toddler care is at Priory Road, while preschool is at Aston House on Percy Road. During a visit, discuss how the move between settings is prepared and how it fits your family routine.
• Toilet training and daily handover. August 2022 brought recommendations about toilet opportunities and information gathered from parents. Ask how today's routine gives a child timely toilet support and passes on important changes from home.
• Your funding pattern. The nursery accepts 15 and 30 hours funding and offers term-time options. Ask how funded hours fit your chosen attendance pattern and which meal or consumable terms apply to those hours.
• Food allergies. Dietary alternatives sit alongside a standard menu that may contain allergens. Allergy-affected families should confirm current preparation and handling arrangements for their child's needs.

Aston Pierpoint suits families who want a clear baby-to-toddler progression, individual routines and outdoor experiences that extend beyond the nursery garden. The separate sleep room is a meaningful practical feature for babies; treasure baskets, conversational learning and Forest School give older children different ways to explore.

Its attendance choices suit families seeking full days, half days or term-time care, with extended attendance also offered. The August 2022 Good judgement gives a dated quality reference, while its recommendations keep attention on everyday care rather than the grade alone. For a family planning several years ahead, the separate preschool address is an essential part of the decision.