Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Ingol

Respect starts with small interactions here: in February 2025, staff asked children’s permission before changing nappies and listened to their answers. At its 21 February 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Ingol Good, found safeguarding effective and judged that children were making good developmental progress. Those findings give families a useful starting point, with one clear reservation about outdoor learning for the youngest children.

Based in Ingol, Preston, the nursery has 55 places in total and accepts children from 4 to 60 months. A separate sleep room, an enclosed outdoor space and food prepared by an on-site chef are practical features that matter across a busy nursery day. There are dedicated spaces for different stages of childhood, rather than a single room serving every age.

The strongest reasons to consider Ingol are its attention to relationships, its progression towards independence and its links with everyday community life. Library visits, outings to parks and trips to shops and playgroups give children experiences beyond the nursery itself.

Rooms and Ages

Babies, labelled for 6–18 months, emphasises close relationships and help with managing feelings, with a separate sleep room providing a place for rest away from active play.

Rising 2s, for 18–24 months, supports growing confidence through age-appropriate resources and opportunities to explore other spaces, including the garden.

Toddlers, for children aged 2 to 3 years, combines exploration and developing friendships with access between the main room and garden, allowing indoor and outdoor activity to connect.

Pre-school, for ages 3 to 5 years, emphasises independence and preparation for primary school, with arts and environmental learning contributing to children’s exploration of their own interests and individuality.

These room descriptions show a progression from attachment and reassurance towards making choices and doing more independently. The baby sleep space is especially useful for families weighing how rest fits alongside play; garden access becomes a more prominent part of the older children’s experience.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning, development and care: children learn through play, while practitioners follow their progress and plan experiences around their next steps. It is the shared foundation for early years provision. At Ingol, the concrete additions include arts, environmental learning and experiences in the surrounding community.

Ashbourne’s group-wide activity description includes mud kitchens, sensory areas and stories, giving children different ways to explore and communicate. In February 2025, children experimented with muddy water, scooping it and changing its route. That is a useful example of learning through an activity children wanted to pursue, with staff recognising the value of their involvement.

Outdoor play needs a more careful reading. In February 2025, older children used chalk to work through letters and developed imaginary monster hunts, but younger children did not consistently have activities they could meaningfully join. Some drifted around the outdoor area with little direction. Better organisation of outdoor learning for younger children was the improvement required.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed outside space gives children somewhere to explore within the nursery grounds. Beyond it, regular off-site visits include libraries, parks, local shops and playgroups. These outings connect nursery learning with familiar places and other people, making community life part of children’s experience rather than an abstract topic.

Relationships and Communication

Settling arrangements are tailored to the individual child. This matters because the move into nursery is treated as a personal transition, with the approach adjusted to the child rather than presented as one fixed timetable for everyone.

At the February 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that key-person relationships helped children feel secure, parents felt involved and listened to, and staff understood the spoken and unspoken communication of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For families, that combines two useful strengths: adults who understand the child and a willingness to hear the parent’s perspective.

A parent app carries updates about daily care and activities, and makes the child’s educational plan accessible. This gives families both everyday information and a view of what practitioners are working towards. The communication system is a group-wide arrangement described for Ingol, rather than a separate branch programme.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In February 2025, staff helped children find ways to express anger or upset and taught them about looking after their bodies and minds. They also modelled respect during personal care, including asking permission before nappy changes. Those interactions show how emotional learning and consideration for others can sit within ordinary routines.

An on-site chef prepares meals, and the nursery publishes a nut-free policy. The group-wide food arrangements described for Ingol include Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer menus and accommodation of dietary requirements, making the discussion of a child’s individual needs part of planning their care.

Preparation for primary school is part of Pre-school’s emphasis on independence. In February 2025, children approaching that transition demonstrated literacy, communication and mathematical skills during their learning. The emphasis is on what children can do and understand as they move on.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Ingol opens for 51 weeks of the year, with closures on bank holidays and over Christmas. That gives families a clear weekly opening window and a reason to plan alternative care around the annual closures.

The address is 382 Tag Lane, Ingol, Preston, PR2 7AA. New-parent enquiries can be made by telephone on 0800 699 0044 or through the nursery’s enquiry form, which includes the intended start date and sessions wanted. Families can also book a visit.

Funding and Paid Extras

In February 2025, the nursery offered government-funded childcare and received specific funding for disadvantaged children. Families considering a funded arrangement should distinguish the childcare entitlement from the overall cost of their chosen attendance pattern. Current prices should come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Outdoor learning for younger children. In February 2025, younger children could not consistently join purposeful outdoor activities. On a visit, ask to see how the garden day now works for babies and the youngest toddlers.
• Attendance and the quotation. The 7.30am–6pm opening window and Christmas and bank-holiday closures matter when planning care. What booking patterns can your child use, and how would funded hours, meals and non-food consumables fit into the written quotation?
• Dietary needs. An on-site chef and a published nut-free policy are relevant starting points for food planning. Families managing allergies should confirm current practice and discuss their child’s requirements before starting.

Ingol suits families seeking care from infancy through the preschool years, with dedicated age-stage spaces, a separate place for sleep and regular experiences beyond the nursery grounds. Parents who value individual settling and access to daily updates have concrete reasons to consider it.

The February 2025 judgement provides a positive basis for that choice, but the younger children’s outdoor experience deserves close attention. For babies and toddlers, the decisive question is how the garden supports their learning alongside the relationship-led care indoors.