Edith Rose Nurseries Ascot

A baby room capped at six children, an annual outing to Royal Ascot and visits from therapy dogs give Edith Rose Nurseries Ascot a recognisable character. Everyday play reaches beyond the nursery: children help with planting, visit the library and take walks to feed the ducks. This is a setting where the local community supplies material for learning as well as somewhere to go.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found that its curriculum supported strong progress and judged safeguarding effective. There were also clear improvements to make: outdoor learning needed more purposeful organisation, and some changes between activities involved unnecessary waiting.

Based at St John's House on Kennel Ride, the nursery has capacity for 34 children, accepting babies from three months and children up to five years. Three age-based rooms provide different stages of care and learning. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings run across the year, with funding stretched rather than confined to term time.

Rooms and Ages

The CATERPILLAR ROOM, for children under two, takes up to six children and combines individual routines with sensory and art activities, freely accessible toys and community walks using triple buggies. The cap gives parents a clear maximum for baby care.

For two- to three-year-olds, the COCOON ROOM accommodates up to 12 children, with activities arranged around their interests and learning needs, changing experiences through the day and trips to the park. The room's planning uses Birth to Five Matters, with activities selected to address children's development and interests.

The BUTTERFLY ROOM serves three- to five-year-olds, with a maximum of 16 children, a more structured day, work on independence and concentration, and community outings that extend learning. Preparation for school is therefore about developing habits children can use in their next setting.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play supports learning alongside everyday routines and relationships. Birth to Five Matters sits alongside this, informing the COCOON ROOM's arrangements and activities. This planning approach complements the early years foundation stage, which remains the statutory framework against which Ofsted inspects the nursery.

Free play has a deliberate purpose. Children encounter resources that invite them to investigate, experiment and practise skills they have already been introduced to, with adults available to help. Children can choose how to explore while staff support them.

In June 2025, messy painting involved fingers, feet and pretend skating, with adults introducing descriptive vocabulary and helping children judge how to move safely around others. The activity brought physical exploration and language together. Singing with actions and access to books supplied other routes into communication, while older children could borrow books to share at home.

Outdoor and Community Life

Flowerbeds and planters give children a part in looking after growing things. The garden extends learning outdoors, drawing on a forest school ethos through practical experiences outside. Trips for cooking ingredients, visits to the library and walks to the park connect nursery activities with familiar places beyond the building.

Royal Ascot provides an annual outing to watch the Royal procession and the first race. Visits from Therapy Dogs introduce children to animals and experiences intended to build confidence and encourage care for others; Care Home Visits connect them with people in the local community.

Outdoor provision also deserves scrutiny. In June 2025, children used trikes, explored water and handled spaghetti and lentils in pans, but resources were not consistently ready to make the fullest use of learning outside. Enjoyment was evident; purposeful preparation needed attention, especially for children who preferred outdoor play.

Relationships and Communication

Key workers provide a particular relationship within a wider team approach. Other staff also care for the children, helping familiar adults take over when a key worker is absent. For a young child, that arrangement gives continuity beyond the availability of one person. The baby room's individual routines provide another important link between care and the child's own needs.

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff adapted teaching for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, sought additional help promptly and worked effectively with families and external agencies. Parents were kept informed about development.

The Ascot deputy manager also holds the SENCO/Inclusion officer role and works across the rooms. That provides an identified role for coordinating inclusion across age groups. In June 2025, staff held relevant childcare qualifications and leaders supported further training, giving professional development a place in the organisation of care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In June 2025, children practised washing their hands and serving food, while older children cleaned their teeth after lunch. Conversations about feelings helped them recognise when someone else was unhappy. These small routines made independence and consideration practical parts of the day, rather than abstract expectations.

School preparation also included recognising names, listening during group activities and following instructions. Alongside the BUTTERFLY ROOM's work on concentration, these experiences address what children do for themselves and how they participate with others. The emphasis is on readiness for the next stage of learning.

Little Tums supplies scratch-cooked lunch and tea: lunch arrives hot, while tea is delivered cold for staff to reheat. The food arrangements include provision for weaning and dietary requirements, with allergies addressed through catering arrangements; families affected by allergies should discuss the details before joining.

Sessions and Attendance

Full Day bookings run from 8am to 6.30pm, Morning sessions from 8am to 1pm, and Afternoon sessions from 1.30pm to 6.30pm. Morning and afternoon sessions are offered in limited numbers per room. Extra time can be arranged, giving an additional option when the normal booking needs adjusting.

The nursery opens Monday to Friday and operates for 51 weeks of the year. There are no term-time-only places. Fees remain payable during sickness, holidays and bank holidays, with the Christmas closure week excluded from charging.

Getting There

The address is St John's House, 66 Kennel Ride, Ascot, SL5 7NW. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email to edithroseascot@btconnect.com or by telephone on 01344 885 800.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with funding spread across the 51 operating weeks. Fees depend on how many funded hours a family uses at the nursery. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page explains the booking and payment structure.

Snacks, lunch and tea are included in the fee. Standard wipes are included too, but parents supply nappies and any particular brand of wipes their child requires. Activities and their resources are also included.

Reserving a place requires a non-refundable deposit equivalent to a month's full fees, credited immediately towards fees. Monthly payments spread the annual charge across the year.

• Outdoor learning and changes between activities. In June 2025, outdoor resources needed better preparation and some children waited too long between activities. At a visit, discuss how staff now organise garden learning and keep children engaged during these changes.
• An across-the-year commitment. Funding is stretched over 51 weeks and term-time-only places are not offered. Fees are payable during sickness, holidays and bank holidays, so this pattern needs to fit the family's annual childcare budget.
• The reservation payment. A non-refundable deposit equivalent to a month's full fees is credited towards fees immediately. Consider that initial payment when choosing a start date and reviewing the written quotation.
• Individual routines and dietary needs. The CATERPILLAR ROOM follows children's own routines, while catering accommodates weaning and dietary requirements. How will settling arrangements reflect your child's routines, and how will any allergy requirements be handled?

Edith Rose Nurseries Ascot suits families seeking either full-day care or shorter morning and afternoon sessions within an across-the-year arrangement. Its strongest practical details are the six-child baby-room cap, age-specific rooms and community experiences that include Royal Ascot, therapy dogs and care-home visits.

The June 2025 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific work needed on outdoor learning and transitions. Families comfortable with stretched funding and annual fee commitments have a clear attendance model to weigh against those care and learning features.