Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Pebworth

A mud kitchen, weekly Forest School activities and Christmas carol singing at the neighbouring retirement home give Pebworth a clear village character. Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Pebworth occupies the grounds of Pebworth First School, with spacious gardens, an open-plan room and a separate room for babies. Outdoor experiences are a substantial part of the day, rather than an occasional addition.

At its 19 November 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, inclusion, and leadership to be Strong standard, while achievement and curriculum and teaching reached Expected standard; safeguarding standards were met. That distinction matters: the care findings were stronger than the teaching findings, and inconsistent adjustments during larger-group activities remain an important consideration.

The current age range is six months to five years. Flexible sessions offer an attendance option, with the practical boundary of an earlier Friday closing time.

Rooms and Ages

The separate room for babies gives the youngest children their own space alongside the nursery's open-plan room and gardens. For parents choosing care from infancy onwards, that physical separation is a useful part of the layout to explore.

Activities follow children's interests, combining time for books and nursery rhymes with independent play and adult-led experiences. The emphasis is on experiences children can touch, smell and explore, including making mud pies. This gives parents a concrete picture of the day: learning involves handling materials and trying things out.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play and planned activities supporting their next steps across the areas of learning. Pebworth adds weekly Forest School activities, using practical exploration in woodland or a natural setting with trees. This makes outdoor learning a recurring part of the week.

In November 2025, practitioners supported language by repeating children's speech, introducing words and using visual prompts. Babies received responsive conversation, while older children took part in discussions and extended their vocabulary. Counting also entered everyday routines, including using fingers while preparing snacks. These are useful examples of learning woven into ordinary moments.

In November 2025, children's achievement varied and some experiences were insufficiently adapted to individual needs. Teaching adjustments were inconsistent across staff: larger-group activities sometimes lacked help for distracted children or a clear learning purpose. Continued staff coaching was the next step. Families should weigh that alongside the more positive account of everyday routines, rather than treating the inspection judgements as interchangeable.

Outdoor and Community Life

A planting area and climbing frame sit alongside the sensory kitchen in the outdoor space. These provide different ways to use the garden, from exploring materials to practising movement. Village walks extend the experience beyond the nursery grounds.

The community calendar includes carol singing for the retirement home next door each Christmas and posting Christmas letters at the local post office each year. Children also visit the local church. These are tangible connections with village life, giving outings a purpose children can understand.

In November 2025, walks to the village park involved practising balance, climbing and moving across uneven ground. The nursery's own outdoor area also supported climbing and coordination. Physical learning therefore took place both within the grounds and beyond them at that time.

Relationships and Communication

Settling periods are tailored to each child. That recognises that starting nursery is a different experience for each family, rather than something managed to a single timetable.

In November 2025, the key-person arrangement included a buddy system, giving children another familiar practitioner alongside their main adult. Staff adjusted routines when children needed rest and helped them move between activities. Everyday care also involved practising independence, such as washing hands and brushing teeth, so support extended beyond completing tasks for children.

For communication, the group-wide app system provides updates on care and activities and lets parents view their child's educational plan. It connects practical information about the day with the learning being planned. In November 2025, families also received daily information directly from staff, and a lending library helped carry shared reading into the home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities included individual assessments, targeted plans and collaboration with health visitors and speech and language therapists, with strategies shared with parents. The practical value was a connection between nursery support, specialist advice and what families could do at home.

Food and milk are included in the fee package, with daily snacks and support for weaning. Dietary requirements can be accommodated; families affected by allergies should discuss current arrangements before joining.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 5pm from Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 4.30pm on Friday. Flexible sessions are offered. The shorter Friday window matters for families arranging work and collection across the week.

Pebworth opens for 51 weeks of the year, closing for bank holidays and over Christmas. This supports attendance across the year, with those closures to build into family plans. Enquiries can be made through the nursery's contact form or by calling 0800 699 00 44, and visits can be booked.

Getting There

The address is Pebworth First School, Back Lane, Pebworth, Stratford-upon-avon, CV37 8XA. The nursery is on the school grounds, but attending it does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

The fee package includes food and milk. Current prices should be obtained in a written quotation, so the agreed attendance arrangement and its cost can be considered together.

• Teaching in larger groups. In November 2025, adjustments to activities were inconsistent and continued staff coaching was the next step. During a visit, ask how practitioners now keep children involved when a group activity loses their attention.
• Friday collection. Friday closes at 4.30pm, earlier than the other weekdays. Families need a collection arrangement that works with that shorter day.
• Starting with a baby. There is a separate room for babies and settling is tailored to the child. Ask how settling, rest and weaning would work together for your child's routine.
• The written quotation. Food and milk are included in the fee package. Ask how funded hours and non-food consumables would be treated in the quotation for your intended attendance.

Pebworth suits families who value outdoor play, village involvement and flexible attendance, and whose collection arrangements fit its weekday opening hours. Weekly Forest School activities and the gardens give the day a clear practical emphasis. The November 2025 inspection provides a positive account of care and inclusion, balanced by less consistent teaching in larger groups. How staff have developed that teaching is the most useful point to explore before choosing it.