Bilingual Day Nursery & Pre-School Ashby

Spanish through play, a log cabin and a garden with its own pond give this Ashby nursery a clear character. Children encounter another language through play, in activities led by both children and adults. The setting welcomes children from three months to school age, including families who speak only English at home. An existing second language is not an entry requirement.

At its August 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, while identifying weaknesses in support for children's behaviour and managers' ability to recognise weaker staff practice. That dated judgement provides useful context alongside the current approach to language, outdoor learning and care. It should not be read as a fresh assessment of today's team.

The nursery occupies a purpose-built log cabin on the Woodcote Primary School site, with its own forestry area and access to the school field. Full-day and half-day attendance patterns sit alongside funding stretched across the year. The strongest reasons to consider it are the practical use of Spanish, opportunities to explore outdoors and a settling arrangement that involves parents.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room serves children from four months to two years, with sensory play and a tropical fish tank for watching and feeding fish. Milestones are shared through Tapestry, the online learning journal.

The Toddler Room, for two- to three-year-olds, matches natural materials to children's interests and supports speech and toilet training. The Preschool Room, for ages three to four, builds independence through dressing, meals and toileting. Room moves can vary with the child; the nursery's entry age is three months.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the foundation for learning through play, including physical development, communication and language, and personal, social and emotional development. These areas are especially prominent for the under-twos. Spanish is added through activities directed by both children and adults, so language sits alongside the rest of the day.

Children's interests can redirect plans: enthusiasm for cars may replace a gardening activity with vehicle play. Preschool writing and mathematics also develop through play, keeping learning connected to children's engagement.

In August 2021, children counted in English and Spanish, discussed stories and used brushes to uncover toy dinosaurs frozen in ice. Language and investigation connected with things they could handle and discuss.

Age-organised book suggestions, recordings and everyday Spanish phrases help families continue learning at home. Audio vocabulary resources require no previous knowledge, so parents can learn alongside their children.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Forest School approach brings child-led exploration to the woodland garden, with regular sessions included within nursery fees. Gardening, tools and fire pits feature, with parents helping shape the experiences.

A pond, mud kitchen and areas for growing fruit and vegetables provide different reasons to spend time outside. Outdoor play is encouraged in different weather conditions, with an aim of taking every child, babies included, outside each day. Fish, frogs and tadpoles give children living things to observe; growing areas connect food with the plants it comes from.

In August 2021, children practised balance on tyres and timber beams, climbed pallets and jumped from tree stumps. They also used collected rainwater on plants and made compost from vegetable and plant material. These activities combined movement with practical care for the garden. Trips extend beyond the grounds to museums, shops, the post office, fire station and care homes, without a fixed frequency attached to them.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's Key Person handles paperwork, joins the settling visit and supports the first days. Parents may stay during the early weeks until both they and their child feel comfortable, allowing separation to develop gradually.

The allocation can change if a child bonds more strongly with another practitioner. Parents can speak to their key person or management during the day to discuss settling or changes at home.

Tapestry also connects care with communication: Baby Room milestones are shared through it, and sleep checks are logged there. In August 2021, staff used an online journal to update parents on development and offered ideas for supporting language at home. They also exchanged information with local schools when children were preparing to move on.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENDCO role supports conversations about additional physical, speech or language needs. Parents meet staff to discuss their child's circumstances in detail, and adaptations can be considered before the child starts. This is a practical mechanism for planning support; families should judge how it would work for their own child rather than treating it as a blanket assurance.

The Sleep Room contains both cots and mats, with individual sheets stored in labelled spaces between uses. Sleeping children are continuously monitored, with checks recorded on Tapestry. A dedicated sleeping space matters for children who still need daytime rest, while those who do not nap can continue activities elsewhere.

Food is freshly prepared on the premises each day, with hot dishes at lunch and dinner; a full day also includes breakfast and snacks. The nursery caters for most dietary requirements and allergies but does not permit packed lunches, and shared meals encourage children to serve themselves and take responsibility for clearing away.

Sessions and Attendance

At Woodcote School, Willowbrook Close, Ashby De La Zouch, LE65 1JX, the nursery opens from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays throughout the year, closing on bank holidays.

Full days and half days are attendance options, including for stretched funded hours, subject to availability. Breakfast is offered as children arrive, accommodating different morning routines.

Enquiries and viewing bookings can be made by contacting the nursery on 07376 139335 or emailing admin@bilingualdaynurseryashby.co.uk. The setting accepts children from three months to school age, with room moves adjusted to individual development.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding is accepted for children aged nine months, two, three and four years. The funding arrangements include 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements for three- and four-year-olds, with the latter dependent on eligibility. Funding is stretched over 51 weeks, with the nursery describing weekly attendance allocations of 10 or 20 hours under that arrangement.

A funding form is completed before each term and the nursery makes the claim for the family. Payments are taken monthly in advance, falling due on the month's final day. Voucher schemes and Tax Free Childcare are accepted. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation, considering their chosen attendance pattern and funding together.

Regular Forest School sessions are included within nursery fees. The nursery's food arrangements and its funding arrangements need to be considered together when planning attendance, especially because packed lunches are not permitted.

Moving on to School

Sharing a site with Woodcote Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to use the local authority admissions process. The preschool emphasis on dressing, meals and toileting supports practical readiness, while the information-sharing with local schools described in August 2021 concerned transition rather than an admissions advantage.

• Behaviour support and management oversight. The August 2021 improvement points concerned helping children handle emotions and behaviour, and recognising weaknesses in staff practice. On a visit, ask how staff now respond to difficult moments and how managers review that work.
• The complete attendance quotation. Funding is stretched over 51 weeks and payments are made in advance. Request a written quotation for your intended full-day or half-day pattern.
• Dietary needs and shared meals. Packed lunches are not permitted, although the nursery caters for most allergies and dietary requirements. Families affected by allergies should discuss their child's needs and confirm current food-handling practice before joining.
• Outdoor exploration. Forest School experiences include tools and fire pits, alongside a garden pond. Ask how activities are selected for your child's age and how parental preferences shape participation.

This nursery suits families seeking either full-day attendance or half-day sessions, with Spanish woven into play and an established outdoor offer. Its appeal is concrete: woodland learning, a pond and growing areas, a dedicated sleep room and settling that allows parents to remain involved.

The August 2021 Good judgement is balanced by specific improvement points about behaviour support and management oversight. A decision should weigh those points alongside the child's likely experience of shared meals, practical independence and relationships with staff. For families interested in everyday exposure to another language, the combination gives Ashby a clear identity.