YMCA Nursery Andover

An indoor play tower gives preschool play a physical dimension at YMCA Nursery Andover, while a large garden takes movement and exploration outdoors. The setting in East Anton combines these spaces with stories, signs and sensory activities that revisit the same ideas in different ways. Its strongest character comes from that connection between communication and everyday play.

At its August 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding. Current arrangements include gradual settling sessions, a SENCO lead practitioner and fresh food cooked on site.

Children can attend from four months to five years, with 121 places in total. Babies, Toddlers and Preschool each have their own age band and emphasis. Full-day, morning, afternoon and six-hour sessions give families several attendance patterns to work with.

Rooms and Ages

Babies, for children from four months to two years, combines sensory experiences with care that follows individual cues, making familiarity and relationships the starting point for exploration.

Toddlers, for two- to three-year-olds, emphasises language and growing independence through predictable routines and energetic play.

Preschool, for three- to five-year-olds, develops friendships and self-help skills through play and smaller group activities, with an indoor play tower adding opportunities for climbing and imaginative movement.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: through play, children practise communication, independence and managing feelings alongside early learning. Alongside it, the group-wide Little Steps, Giant Leaps approach addresses emotional, social, physical and early learning skills in preparation for school.

A weekly story connects the nursery's creative and sensory activities with Makaton signs, which support communication alongside the words and ideas children encounter. The book is revisited daily. Messy play then gives children another way to explore its themes, linking what they hear with what they make and handle. Seasonal sensory activities add a further source of variety.

In August 2023, story-based learning extended into sequencing pictures and retelling a caterpillar story. Discussion linked unfamiliar foods with healthy eating.

Problem-solving also had practical substance in August 2023. Mirrors helped children examine their technique while hammering, and adults encouraged them to consider what had worked and what they could change. With babies, a broken train track became an opportunity to explore why something had stopped working.

Outdoor and Community Life

A large garden supports outdoor play throughout the year.

The daily routine combines activities chosen by children with organised learning, group stories and singing. It also makes room for quieter periods. That balance matters for children who enjoy active play but still need predictable breaks for food, care and rest.

Relationships and Communication

Settling usually starts four to six weeks before a child's start date. Three sessions of 60 minutes are offered: a parent or carer stays for the first, followed by two sessions where the child spends time with staff independently. Extra sessions can be added when a child needs longer. The practical benefit is time to become familiar with the room and its routines before a full day begins.

Families receive photographs, messages and updates connected with their child's key worker, alongside end-of-day handovers. Parents can follow nursery life and share changes from home.

In August 2023, staff used emotion cards and colours to help children express feelings, and responded to gestures as well as spoken words. Children with more developed speech also used communication aids when talking with friends who were still developing those skills. Support for communication therefore extended into relationships between children.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2023 inspection, Ofsted found exceptionally effective support for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, and judged safeguarding arrangements effective. The current team includes a SENCO lead practitioner, while the group-wide Inclusive Classroom Profile provides a framework for reviewing inclusion, the environment and everyday support.

In August 2023, staff sought additional professional help early, including assessments by paediatricians at the nursery. Speech and language therapists had also coached staff. Communication boards and sign language gave children ways to express needs before speech was established, including babies requesting more food.

Independence was visible in ordinary care routines in August 2023: toddlers poured drinks and served food using utensils, while babies returned toys to their places. Repeated routines gave children manageable tasks to practise, rather than leaving self-help skills until preschool.

Fresh meals are prepared on site, with options for dietary requirements and allergies. Rest is also part of the nursery day: the routine includes a quiet sleep period with soothing care, giving families a clear place for naps within the wider pattern of play and meals.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and a week between Christmas and New Year. These closures matter when matching nursery care with work and other family commitments.

Full Day Care runs from 8am to 6pm. The Morning Session runs from 8am to 12.45pm, while the Afternoon Session is 1pm to 6pm. A separate 6 Hour Session runs from 9am to 3pm.

Breakfast Club covers 7.30am to 8am, and Early Drop off covers 7.45am to 8am. They provide ways to extend the start of a booked day. Flexible childcare is also offered, alongside the fixed session patterns.

The Andover team handles enquiries by telephone on 01264 310 140 and email at andover@ymca-fg.org.

Getting There

The address is Dairy Road, off Smannell Road, East Anton, Andover, SP11 6UL. The postal discrepancy in the nursery's contact details is a practical point to resolve before travelling.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can use 15- and 30-hour funded childcare options. The working-family offer applies from the term after a child reaches nine months, subject to eligibility, and can be taken over 38 term-time weeks or stretched across 51 weeks. The funding arrangements also include the universal entitlement from the term after a child's third birthday and funding for eligible two-year-olds whose families receive qualifying benefits.

Private session fees include the food specified for that session and consumables: full-day care includes lunch, tea and a morning snack, while the shorter sessions include their corresponding food. Funded sessions have a different structure: meals are charged separately, and a voluntary consumables charge applies, with children eligible for EYPP exempt. Under-twos cannot bring lunchboxes. Additional care beyond the funded entitlement is paid for separately.

A deposit accompanies the booking form, with refund conditions applying after the child leaves. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; families should consider the session, funding and food arrangements together when judging the overall cost.

Children are prepared for transitions to Endeavour Primary School, Kirk Campus and Icknield School. This is preparation for moving on, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Postal details. The nursery's contact address uses SP11 6YG, while its official address is SP11 6UL. Confirm the destination for a visit so the postcode difference does not complicate the journey.
• Funded-session costs. Meals sit outside funded hours, and consumables carry a voluntary charge with an EYPP exemption. Compare a written quotation for your intended sessions, including the under-two lunchbox restriction.
• Settling pace. The starting arrangement is three hour-long sessions, with extra settles possible. During a visit, discuss how the move from a parent-supported session to independent stays would work for your child.
• Support in practice. A SENCO lead practitioner and the Inclusive Classroom Profile are part of the current offer. Families seeking additional support can use a visit to discuss how communication aids, routines and professional advice would fit their child's day.

YMCA Nursery Andover suits families seeking full-day care, morning or afternoon sessions, or a six-hour daytime pattern. Its indoor tower, large garden and connected use of stories, signs and sensory play give the offer substance beyond a timetable.

The August 2023 Outstanding judgement adds weight, especially alongside the detailed examples of communication support and independence from that period. For a parent choosing now, the practical attractions are the attendance choices and gradual settling arrangements, balanced against the separate costs attached to funded sessions and the postcode discrepancy.