Altrincham Day Nursery

Altrincham Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2882706
Address: 72 Ellesmere Road, Altrincham, WA14 1JD
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 25/03/2026
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Altrincham Early Years Education Limited
Inspection report: 24 July 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
Children make rapid and sustained progress from their individual starting points. This
includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face
barriers to learning. Children who begin nursery with gaps in their development quickly gain
new knowledge and skills. For example, children receiving support for communication
rapidly develop their vocabulary and increasingly use language to express their needs and
interact with others.
Children consistently build on what they already know and can do and make significant
progress across all seven areas of learning. Those who require additional support make
sustained progress towards their individual targets. Children develop their communication,
form positive relationships and become increasingly confident in managing their emotions.
They also develop high levels of independence through everyday routines and confidently
manage aspects of their own self-care.
Children remember and apply what they have learned across different experiences and
routines. This helps them become confident, independent and motivated learners. As a
result, children, including those who face significant barriers to learning, achieve highly from
their individual starting points and are very well prepared for the next stage of their
education.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff know children and their families very well. They identify children's
individual needs and barriers to learning quickly and ensure that appropriate support is put
in place promptly. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who
face barriers to learning benefit from highly targeted support that enables them to make
rapid and sustained progress from their starting points.
Leaders work closely with families and external professionals to ensure support is
coordinated and responsive to children's changing needs. Staff consistently implement
purposeful support plans and carefully review children's progress to identify what is working
well and where further adaptations are needed. Additional funding is used thoughtfully and
promptly. For example, leaders purchase specialist resources, create calming spaces and
adapt the environment to ensure children can participate fully in nursery life. These
approaches help children develop their communication, emotional regulation, independence
and confidence.
Families receive highly effective support that extends beyond children's learning in the
nursery. Leaders respond swiftly when circumstances change and work collaboratively with
families and professionals to reduce barriers. As a result, children who face significant
barriers to their learning and development thrive. They make rapid progress, become
increasingly independent and are very well prepared for their next stage of learning.

Expected standard
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders have established a highly positive culture where children, families and staff are
valued and supported. They have an accurate understanding of the nursery's strengths and
priorities for development. Leaders are highly reflective and take prompt action to secure
improvements. They use observations, supervision and detailed action plans to continually
evaluate practice and ensure improvements are embedded. Parents and staff are actively
involved in this process, helping leaders make informed decisions that improve children's
experiences.
Professional development is purposeful and closely aligned to the needs of the current
cohort of children. Leaders provide regular coaching, supervision and professional
discussion. They respond promptly when areas for development are identified and provide
targeted support to strengthen staff's knowledge and skills. Staff describe leaders as highly
approachable and supportive and value the guidance they receive. Leaders place significant
importance on staff wellbeing, creating an open culture where staff feel listened to and
valued. As a result, staff are motivated and committed to continually improving their practice.
Leaders work highly effectively with families and external professionals to remove barriers to
children's learning and development. They use additional funding thoughtfully and promptly
to ensure children receive resources and support when they need them. As a result,
children, including those who face significant barriers to learning, benefit from a highly
responsive and well-led provision and are very well prepared for the next stage in their
learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children typically behave well and develop positive relationships with their peers and staff.
Staff create a calm and welcoming environment where children feel secure and understand
what is expected of them. Children confidently follow familiar routines throughout the day,
such as washing their hands before meals, brushing their teeth and helping to tidy away
resources. These well-established routines help children develop independence, confidence
and positive attitudes to learning.
Staff support children to share, take turns and develop friendships through play and
everyday experiences. Staff recognise the importance of regular attendance and work
closely with families to promote this. They have clear procedures for following up absences
and supporting children to attend regularly, helping them benefit fully from the curriculum
and maintain positive relationships with their peers.
On occasion, staff do not consistently make expectations clear or help children understand
why some behaviours are expected. For example, when children use unkind hands, staff do
not always explain the impact of their actions on others or use these moments to deepen

children's understanding of positive behaviour. As a result, at times, children do not fully
understand behavioural boundaries or how their actions affect others.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff create a warm, nurturing environment where children feel emotionally secure. Key
persons and staff working directly with children build trusting relationships with them and
provide reassurance and support when needed. This helps children feel safe and ready to
learn.
Staff typically promote children's health and wellbeing through consistent daily routines and
meaningful experiences. They teach children about healthy lifestyles through regular
toothbrushing, nutritious meals and snacks, and outdoor play. Staff encourage children to
develop independence and make appropriate choices. This supports children's growing
confidence and self-esteem.
Staff understand children's individual health, care and dietary needs and ensure these are
met appropriately. Leaders work effectively with families and other professionals to
coordinate children's care. For example, staff implement individual care plans consistently
and make appropriate adaptations to the environment. This enables children with differing
needs to participate safely in nursery life and supports their health and wellbeing.
Staff provide children with extensive opportunities to be physically active. They enhance
these experiences through external visitors who provide sessions involving movement,
singing and dancing. This helps children understand the importance of being active and
supports their physical development, health and confidence.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have developed a broad and balanced curriculum that reflects the needs, interests
and experiences of the children who attend. Staff understand what they want children to
learn and use assessment effectively to plan experiences that build on children's starting
points and support their next steps. Activities are adapted well to enable children of different
ages and stages of development, including those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities, to participate fully in learning.
Staff generally promote children's communication, independence and personal development
throughout the day. For example, children take part in language lessons, community outings
and creative experiences that broaden their knowledge and understanding of the world.
Staff typically explain the purpose of activities clearly and adapt teaching to meet children's
individual needs.
While most staff are knowledgeable about how to support children's learning effectively, this
practice is not yet consistent across the nursery. On occasions, staff fail to extend children's
thinking, encourage meaningful conversations and deepen learning during everyday
routines. For example, during some group activities and mealtimes, children are not always
given sufficient time to think, respond or engage in sustained conversations. As a result, the

development of some children's language, thinking and understanding is not consistently
extended to a higher level.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children enjoy attending this welcoming nursery where they feel safe, secure and valued.
Warm, nurturing relationships help children develop a sense of belonging and confidence to
explore their environment. Children form close relationships with their key person and other

familiar staff who care for them. This helps them to seek reassurance when needed and
confidently return to their play and learning.
Children's individual interests, experiences and starting points are reflected in what they
learn. They enjoy experiences that build on what they already know and can do. Children
benefit from continuity between home and nursery because their families regularly share
information about their learning and development.
Children understand familiar routines and confidently take part in everyday experiences that
support their growing independence. For example, they wash their hands before meals,
pour their own drinks, and help to tidy resources. This helps children develop important skills
for everyday life.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to
learning are fully included in nursery life. They receive support that reflects their individual
needs and is adapted as they develop. This helps children make progress at a pace that is
right for them. Children who initially find aspects of nursery life difficult become increasingly
settled and confident. They develop their communication, independence and ability to
manage their emotions.
Children develop positive relationships with their peers and familiar staff. They learn to play
alongside others, form friendships and seek support from their key person and those who
care for them. Parents recognise the positive difference attending the nursery makes to their
children's development and wellbeing.
Children enjoy a broad range of learning experiences that reflect their interests and support
their development. For example, they take part in planting activities to understand plant life
cycles. Children are curious and eager to take part in activities both indoors and outdoors.
As a result, they develop confidence, have access to new experiences and are engaged in
their learning.
Children are curious and eager to learn. They enjoy a broad range of experiences indoors,
outdoors and within their local community. For example, children plant and care for flowers,
helping them learn about how plants grow. These varied experiences help children develop
confidence, broaden their knowledge and remain engaged in their learning.
Next steps
The provider should strengthen staff interactions, so they consistently extend children's
thinking, language and understanding during everyday routines and planned activities.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and parents during the inspection.

Inspector:
Jamie Fitton
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2882706
Address:
72 Ellesmere Road
Altrincham
WA14 1JD
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 25/03/2026
Registered person: Altrincham Early Years Education Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Trafford
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 24 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 6
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provisions complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Total number of places
87
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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