Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Grantham

Mud pies, weekly Forest School outings and Christmas carol singing next door give this Welham Street nursery a recognisable character. Outdoor experiences sit alongside books, songs and activities shaped around children's interests. The emphasis is on doing: handling materials, exploring and finding things out through play.

At its April 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded Strong standard in all six assessed areas and found that safeguarding standards were met. These were area judgements, rather than a single overall grade. The nursery has capacity for 46 children, with a current age range of 6 to 60 months.

Dedicated areas accommodate different ages, while the garden adds a climbing frame, planting area and sensory kitchen. For parents, that combination means age-appropriate indoor experiences alongside space for movement and practical exploration. Opening hours run from 8am to 6pm on weekdays.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning and care, with play and planned activities supporting development across its areas of learning. Here, practitioners track children's progress and use their interests to shape what comes next. Nursery rhymes, quieter reading periods and opportunities to choose their own play sit alongside activities led by adults.

In April 2026, room planning included learning intentions and words selected to extend children's vocabulary. The Colour Monster supported conversations about emotions, including alternatives to familiar words for feelings. Stories also travelled into children's play: a tower became something to try blowing down, connecting remembered ideas with construction and experimentation.

Mathematics took practical forms during that April visit. Younger children counted and matched amounts, while older children worked together on jigsaw puzzles. These examples show how number, problem-solving and cooperation can share an activity rather than occupy separate parts of the day.

Rooms and Ages

Different age groups have dedicated areas, with experiences adapted to their stage of development. Indoor rooms and outdoor spaces are arranged around children's interests, so the environment contributes to the activities rather than simply containing them.

In April 2026, toddler-room water play involved pouring from jugs, mixing water with mud and finding ways to collect more water from containers. The task gave children something concrete to investigate, with scope to repeat an action, change it and observe the result. Physical activities during the same visit included scooters and bikes, alongside practice with dressing and personal care.

Outdoor and Community Life

The sensory kitchen, planting area and climbing frame provide different reasons to spend time outdoors: experimenting with materials, tending plants and moving physically. Mud kitchen play adds textures and smells to children's investigations. These are practical resources with a clear place in the nursery day.

Forest School activities take place on an outing once a week, using hands-on experiences in a wooded or natural setting. That adds a regular opportunity to explore beyond the nursery's own outdoor area. Community experiences include Christmas carol singing for the neighbouring retirement home, visits to the local church and an annual trip to post Christmas letters at the local post office.

Relationships and Communication

Settling periods are adjusted to each child. This makes the transition a personal process rather than a fixed timetable that every family must follow.

At the April 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that familiar key people supported secure relationships, teaching was adapted effectively for children with SEND and other barriers to learning, and children made substantial progress from their starting points. Those findings matter for families weighing individual support alongside the everyday nursery experience.

During April 2026, staff sought children's agreement before care tasks such as face wiping and nappy changes, encouraging them to take part where they could. Daily conversations with parents covered children's experiences and wellbeing, with additional guidance on sleep, toilet training and toothbrushing. That connected nursery routines with the practical questions families face at home.

The group's communication arrangements include an app for updates about care routines and activities, with children's educational plans accessible through the same system. Parents therefore have a written channel alongside conversations with staff.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In April 2026, visual prompts and Makaton were used to support communication, including for children learning English as an additional language. Staff also learned words from children's home languages. These were specific ways to help children express needs and join activities.

Quiet, cosy spaces offered somewhere to pause, while social stories drew on children's experiences to explain feelings and routines. Toothbrushing involved mirrors so children could see what they were doing, and lending books and information packs extended welfare themes into family life. Independence was practised through ordinary routines, rather than reserved for a separate activity.

Seasonal lunches and snacks are served daily, with dietary requirements accommodated and support for babies' weaning. Food arrangements therefore cover children at different stages of eating as well as different dietary needs.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 13 Welham Street, Grantham, NG31 6QU. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year, closing on bank holidays and over Christmas. Those closures are a practical consideration for families needing childcare throughout the working year.

A branch enquiry form accepts a proposed start date and the sessions a family wants. New-parent enquiries can also be made by telephone, and a visit-booking route is offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Attendance and costs. The weekday opening window is 8am to 6pm, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. At a visit, ask which booking pattern would fit your working hours and how funded hours, meals and consumables would appear in your written quotation.
• Your child's starting point. Settling is tailored to the child, and April 2026 practice included familiar key people and communication aids. Discuss how your child's routines, language and support needs would shape their settling plan.
• The next development priority. The April 2026 next steps called for leaders to sustain high standards and increase the impact of their work for disadvantaged children and children with SEND. For a family needing additional support, the useful discussion is how that ambition translates into their child's daily experiences and reviewed goals.

Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Grantham suits families who value outdoor exploration, community experiences and learning through everyday tasks. The weekly Forest School outings and seasonal links with neighbouring organisations give that preference something concrete to rest on.

The April 2026 area judgements provide a strong basis for considering it, while the individual settling approach offers a practical starting point for younger children and families with specific routines. The weekday opening window will appeal to parents whose childcare needs fit those hours; bank holiday and Christmas closures need to fit the family calendar too.