Ash House Day Nursery

A detached house, enclosed grounds and weekly Spanish lessons give Ash House Day Nursery a character that reaches beyond its rooms. Tiny Treasures has ground-floor space and its own outdoor area; older children use an upstairs Pre-School Room with a separate place for stories and relaxation.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Ash House Good and found safeguarding effective, although large-group activities needed better organisation to involve children with different needs and interests. Individual interests were better served than during larger shared activities.

Babies and children up to five attend, with room moves agreed around the individual child rather than a birthday alone. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions give families different ways to use the nursery across its 51-week year.

Rooms and Ages

Tiny Treasures serves children from six weeks to three years, combining sensory exploration, music, messy activities and natural materials in ground-floor rooms with its own outdoor space. Children's interests and routines shape their day.

For children aged three to five, the Pre-School Room combines role play, creative activities and early work with numbers and shapes in a large upstairs activity room, alongside a separate cosy room and dedicated outdoor area. The quieter space gives stories and relaxation a physical place alongside busier play. Room transitions are discussed with parents and can happen earlier or later according to the child's needs.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) links learning through play with children's communication, movement, relationships and developing understanding of words, numbers and the world. It is the shared early-years framework here. Activities follow children's interests, while each key person observes development and uses those observations to plan what comes next.

Within Tiny Treasures, The Curiosity Approach sits alongside the EYFS: children lead exploration, with natural resources used wherever possible in creative, sensory and physical play. That gives the approach concrete substance rather than leaving it as a curriculum label. Older children's play also follows their interests, with opportunities to make choices, explain ideas and take part in shared activities.

Visiting professionals lead Karma Time, a yoga activity, as well as dance and Spanish; the Pre-School Room has Spanish lessons weekly. Movement and another language become recurring parts of children's learning.

In February 2023, a shopping list brought from home prompted a supermarket outing, followed by an activity connected with The Gingerbread Man. This was a concrete example of home interests becoming something children could explore together. During that same period, exercise included Zumba and practice riding pedal bikes without stabilisers, while conversations around pretend medical play introduced vocabulary children could reuse.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed grounds contain paved and grassed surfaces, with slides and climbing frames supporting active play. Separate outdoor areas for the younger and preschool children make outdoor experience part of each room's offer.

Regular outings include libraries, shops, parks and the beach, with suitable clothing allowing trips in different weather. Minibuses also support journeys further across Wirral. Outings give children shared experiences to discuss afterwards.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person who supports settling, usually handles their feeding and changing, and tracks development. The same adult links care routines with learning. Parents can arrange discussions with the key person or manager.

Tiny Treasures uses the Early Years Diary for daily information and parents' comments; preschool families can access a digital learning journal. Termly preschool meetings agree three targets with parents and the key person, bringing families' priorities into learning plans.

The team includes an Early Years Professional and a qualified SENCo, alongside practitioners with early-childhood degrees and early-years practice qualifications. Staff development includes courses, supervision and appraisals. Supervision and appraisals identify training needs.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND support begins with discussion. The SENCo gathers information about the child, family and any agencies involved, then sets out an appropriate plan for practitioners and introduces the key person. Depending on the child's circumstances, the documents may include an Individual Health Care Plan, a Provision Map or an Additional Support Plan. The practical value is that agreed support can be shared with the adults caring for the child.

Settling under the SEND action plan is flexible: parents initially stay, sessions begin briefly and separation increases as the child becomes comfortable. Families remain involved through discussions, written feedback and meetings with other professionals where relevant. Referrals require parents' written consent. The SEND offer uses an Assess, Plan, Do, and Review cycle, so support is reviewed rather than left as a fixed initial decision.

Language support in preschool includes WellComm screening and the Listening for Sounds Programme, both used to support language development, alongside Communication Friendly accreditation through Elklan. At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that Makaton signs and visual cues supported communication and progress for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language.

Fresh meals are cooked daily in the nursery kitchen using locally sourced ingredients, including meat from a local butcher and produce from an independent greengrocer. Vegetarian and vegan alternatives are offered, and the dietary policy allows requests relating to allergies, intolerances and dairy-free or gluten-free diets.

Moving on to school involves visits to children's individual schools and invitations for teachers to meet children and their key person. One-page profiles and all about me books are shared with the receiving schools, carrying information about the child into the next setting.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 29 Withens Lane, Wallasey, CH44 1BB. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year. The session choices are clear: a Morning Session runs from 8am to 1pm, an Afternoon Session from 1pm to 6pm, and a Full Day from 8am to 6pm. Full-time and part-time attendance are both offered, while funded children can attend on a term-time-only basis.

Booking enquiries go through the nursery on 0151 639 0202 or info@ashhousedaynursery.co.uk. A deposit is required when booking a nursery place. Fees are calculated by calendar month and paid a month ahead; extra sessions are payable beforehand or on the day. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation, together with the charges relevant to the chosen pattern.

Getting There

Ash House is near Liscard Village, with access to bus routes and proximity to the M53 and Wallasey Tunnel. Those connections make its position relevant to families travelling within Wirral or towards the tunnel, as well as those living around Wallasey.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Years Funded places are offered for children aged nine months to four years, subject to eligibility. Term-time-only attendance is one funded arrangement. The nursery also accepts Tax-Free Childcare payments, which is a separate payment option from its funded places.

For funded attendance, meals and snacks are charged through a consumables fee, which also covers toiletries and essential supplies. Families should therefore distinguish funded childcare from the additional food and non-food charges when considering the overall bill. Discounts do not apply once funding has been used. Bank-holiday sessions are chargeable under the attendance terms.

• Shared activities. In February 2023, some children lost interest during larger group activities, and improving their organisation was the identified action. During a visit, ask how these activities now accommodate different interests and learning needs.
• The youngest children's day. Tiny Treasures spans six weeks to three years and uses ground-floor space with outdoor access. Ask how the room balances babies' sleep and routines with toddlers' more active play.
• The funded bill. Funded attendance carries a consumables charge covering food, toiletries and supplies, and funding excludes the session discounts. Request a written quotation for the attendance pattern you intend to use, including any bank-holiday charges.
• Dietary arrangements. Special diets can be accommodated on request. Families managing an allergy should confirm current preparation and serving arrangements for their child's needs.

Ash House suits families seeking either morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those using full days, with outdoor play and regular community outings woven into the offer. Weekly preschool Spanish, the Early Years Diary and a clear SEND planning process give parents concrete features to weigh.

The Good judgement from February 2023 is useful, but the group-activity concern deserves attention alongside it. The decision rests on how the current day works for the individual child: their room, routines and support, together with the full cost of the chosen attendance pattern.