Ashfield Nursery & ELC, Stanhope Road

Large chalks for babies and pretend campfires for older children characterised Ashfield’s Stanhope Road nursery in December 2022: practical play, imagination and growing independence. At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, describing children’s enjoyment of learning alongside areas requiring more consistent support for younger children.

Ashfield Nursery & ELC, Stanhope Road serves children aged 2 to 60 months and has 72 places in total. Its address is 259 Stanhope Road, South Shields, NE33 4RT. For parents, the important distinction is between that whole-nursery capacity and the group their child will spend time with.

The strongest examples from December 2022 involve children doing things for themselves, from handling creative materials to serving food. The reservations are equally practical: helping younger children develop conversation and making everyday hygiene routines more instructive.

In December 2022, activities responded to the skills children needed next. Older children handled scissors, brushes and pens while making seasonal pictures and cards; babies experimented with chunky chalks. These activities helped develop hand control in preparation for writing.

The EYFS provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care, bringing play and everyday routines into their education. The December 2022 examples show how that can work in practice: creative activities exercised small hand muscles, shared play involved taking turns, and mealtimes gave older children opportunities to become more independent.

Imagination also had room to work. In December 2022, children built dens and acted out keeping warm around make-believe campfires. A large cardboard tube became different objects during play, including a telescope and a telephone. Simple materials supported children’s own ideas, rather than fixing one purpose for an activity.

Recognition was visible too. The proud cloud display celebrated achievements such as attentive listening in December 2022. Singing helped signal changes between activities, giving children a familiar cue for what happened next. These examples connect behaviour with the ordinary nursery day: listening, sharing and preparing to move on were practised within play and routines.

For younger children, the December 2022 picture was less consistent. Adults sometimes demonstrated language effectively, but did not reliably leave enough opportunity for children to develop their answers and ideas. That distinction matters: hearing words and having time to use them are different parts of learning to communicate.

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support good, with staff working with families and professionals, including portage workers, to support children’s development. These are dated judgements about the care delivered at that visit.

Relationships were expressed through shared activity in December 2022. Babies explored toy lions with adults, making roaring sounds and brushing the toys’ teeth. A ball pool provided opportunities for babies to exercise their bodies. Such examples show care and learning happening together, with adults joining children’s exploration rather than simply supervising it.

Children’s backgrounds also informed daily experiences in December 2022. Favourite books were offered in different languages, while families contributed carol videos in languages other than English. This brought familiar parts of home life into nursery activities and gave other children opportunities to encounter them.

Independence was strongest among older children in December 2022. They served yoghurt, poured drinks and helped clear food waste after eating. Younger children received less consistent help to understand self-care and hygiene. Making a routine happen was not always followed by an explanation of how it helped keep them healthy.

Staff development was another relevant part of that December 2022 picture. Reflective Fridays were team discussions where staff could contribute their views, but management recognised that coaching needed further development. For families, the practical question is how staff support now translates into consistent conversations and care throughout the day.

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm, and operates throughout the year. That opening window gives families a substantial span within which childcare can fit around work.

For enquiries, the Stanhope Road branch can be contacted on 0191 455 0777 or at stanhoperoad@ashfieldnursery.co.uk. A contact form provides another route for an enquiry and a response from the team.

In December 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated description of provision, separate from the current opening arrangements.

• Younger children’s conversations. December 2022 practice did not consistently give younger children time to expand their responses. During a visit, ask how practitioners build conversations during play and routine care.
• Learning through care routines. In December 2022, younger children’s understanding of hygiene and self-care needed more consistent attention. Ask for an example of how these routines are explained today.
• Funding and everyday costs. Funded early education formed part of the December 2022 offer. Before choosing an attendance pattern, ask for written terms covering current funding, paid hours, food and consumables.

Ashfield merits consideration for families seeking year-round childcare with an early weekday opening and opportunities for practical, imaginative learning. The December 2022 examples of creative work, shared play and older children’s independence give that recommendation substance. Parents choosing care for a younger child should give particular attention to how conversations and self-care routines are supported now.