Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Grantham

Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Grantham
Unique reference number (URN): 2749473
Address: Welham Street, Grantham, NG31 6QU
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 07/12/2023
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Ashbourne Day Nurseries Limited
Inspection report: 8 April 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 excellent progress from their individual starting points across all areas of
learning. Younger children confidently develop early mathematical skills, such as counting
and matching quantities. Older children demonstrate impressive problem-solving, resilience
and teamwork skills as they complete complex tasks such as 50 piece jigsaw puzzles
together. Children show highly positive attitudes to learning, engaging fully in both adult-led
activities and chosen play.
Physical development is prioritised well, with younger children building coordination and
balance through scooters before progressing confidently to pedalling bikes. Staff provide
abundant opportunities for children to strengthen both large and small physical skills through
carefully planned activities and outdoor play. Children also make secure progress in
developing independence and self-care skills. From a young age, they learn to eat
independently, dress and undress themselves, brush their teeth and manage personal
hygiene routines confidently.
Disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and
children who face barriers to learning make similarly sustained progress due to highly
effective targeted support and tailored teaching. As a result, all children flourish, develop
confidence and resilience and are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their
learning, including school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Positive relationships between staff and children are a significant strength of the setting.
Staff know children exceptionally well and provide warm, responsive interactions that help
children to feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. Leaders have established a kind,
caring and highly nurturing environment where expectations for behaviour are clear,
consistent and well understood by children and staff.
Children are taught to recognise and understand feelings through purposeful conversations,
daily interactions and carefully planned activities. Staff sensitively encourage children to
think about how others may feel through reflective questioning and discussion, helping them
to develop empathy, emotional awareness and an understanding of consequences. This is
reflected in children's thoughtful interactions with one another. For instance, when peers
experience a minor tumble, children instinctively stop to check if they are alright and offer
reassurance. Children show kindness and compassion towards others and are developing
the skills to manage and regulate their emotions successfully.
Children are supported well to collaborate, share and help each other during play and
routines. Staff consistently encourage independence and resilience, promoting highly
positive attitudes to learning. Children show perseverance, confidence and determination,
often saying, 'I can do it,' as they tackle new challenges.

Leaders take decisive and supportive action to promote good attendance and punctuality,
working proactively with families where concerns arise. For example, leaders make prompt
'check-in' calls when children do not arrive at the expected time and work collaboratively
with families to reduce barriers to attendance, such as adapting session times to better meet
individual family needs. This helps to ensure children attend regularly, settle quickly into
routines and benefit consistently from the rich learning opportunities on offer.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Staff promote independence and dignity during care routines. For example, they seek
consent before changing nappies or wiping faces and encourage children to complete these
tasks for themselves wherever possible. This helps children develop confidence,
independence and an understanding of personal boundaries. All care practices are
thoughtful and responsive to children's individual needs. Policies and procedures are
thoroughly embedded throughout the nursery, with all staff. The key-person system is highly
effective and ensures children form secure, trusting relationships with familiar adults who
know their needs exceptionally well. As a result, children feel safe, secure and emotionally
supported throughout the day.
Children are supported well to understand how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Staff
teach children about safety in the community, including how to cross roads safely, behave
appropriately in the park and manage risks in their environment. Children develop excellent
self-care skills, such as brushing their teeth in nursery. They use mirrors to check their teeth
and enjoy making them 'sparkly clean', which promotes independence and healthy habits.
Lending library books and parent information packs further extend this learning, offering
age-appropriate guidance on a range of welfare and safety themes for children and families.
Children's emotional wellbeing is supported exceptionally well. Staff use social stories
effectively to help children, including those who have experienced trauma, understand
feelings, routines and personal safety. Children show care and compassion towards one
another, helping and cooperating with peers during play and daily routines, which reflects a
secure sense of belonging.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders plan a highly ambitious and enriching curriculum that prioritises children's
communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and physical
skills. Staff have a secure understanding of what they want children to learn, and learning is
thoughtfully sequenced so that new knowledge builds effectively on prior learning. Each
room has clear learning intentions and inspirational focus words, which are regularly
reviewed and adapted to reflect children's needs and interests. Children use extensive
vocabulary, such as using the word 'miserable' as another word for 'sad' when reading 'The
Colour Monster' story.
Staff provide abundant opportunities for children to develop a deep love of books, songs and
rhymes. Children excitedly sing and read together, showing enthusiasm and engagement in
literacy-rich experiences. They recall familiar stories in their play. For example, they have a
go at 'blowing' down the tower they have made, like 'The Big Bad Wolf'. They remember that
'bricks are heavy'. Staff have created thoughtful social stories based on children's own

experiences, helping children understand routines, emotions and social interactions. This
has a significant impact on children's confidence, emotional regulation and social
development.
Interactions between staff and children are of consistently high quality. Staff skilfully adapt
their teaching, model language effectively and use every interaction as a purposeful
teaching opportunity. They encourage curiosity and critical thinking, supporting children to
test ideas and explore materials independently. Staff use visual aids and Makaton effectively
to enhance communication, particularly for children who speak English as an additional
language. This is highly embedded across the nursery.
Assessment is used highly effectively to identify children's starting points and next steps. As
a result, teaching is adapted precisely, and all children, including those facing barriers to
learning, make excellent progress from their starting points across all areas of development.
Inclusion Strong standard
There is a highly positive and nurturing culture of inclusion across the setting. Leaders and
staff have consistently high expectations of all children and demonstrate a committed
approach to ensuring every child thrives. They create a warm, safe and highly supportive
environment where children feel a strong sense of belonging. Leaders and staff know all
children exceptionally well, showing a thorough understanding of their unique personalities
and any barriers they may face in relation to learning and wellbeing. This detailed
knowledge enables them to reduce barriers through thoughtful reasonable adjustments,
adaptations and inclusive practices.
Staff skilfully and consistently adapt teaching, routines and the environment so that children
with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as disadvantaged children, can
access the curriculum fully and participate confidently alongside their peers. Leaders
rigorously monitor children's progress closely and are highly reflective in regularly reviewing
the impact of support. As a result, all children make secure and sustained progress from
their starting points, irrespective of the challenges they face. Disadvantaged children and
those with complex family circumstances receive targeted and highly effective support.
Leaders use funding strategically and effectively to meet children's needs. They work closely
with parents and professionals to identify enriching resources and activities that promote
progress towards children's next steps. For instance, leaders have used funding to create
cosy spaces where children can have quiet time to self-regulate and develop emotional
resilience. The way that funding is used is thoughtfully evaluated to ensure it has a
significant impact on outcomes for disadvantaged children.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders provide highly effective oversight of the setting. They demonstrate a clear
understanding of the setting's strengths and take decisive action to improve areas identified
for development. Leaders' commitment to professional development is exemplary, with
extensive training on brain development and trauma-informed practices having a highly
positive impact on children's welfare and wellbeing.

The development of mathematics across the setting is a notable success. Leaders have
helped staff gain confidence in teaching mathematics, improving the quality of activities and
ensuring that mathematical concepts are meaningfully embedded across all areas of
learning. Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent,
with leaders and staff collaborating effectively to provide tailored support that meets each
child's individual needs.
Leaders manage staff workload effectively, ensuring high morale and a committed,
motivated team. Decisions are consistently made in the best interests of children,
particularly for those who are disadvantaged or face barriers to learning. Staff feel supported
and empowered, which translates into high-quality teaching and care. Overall, leadership is
highly effective, ensuring that all children thrive and achieve their potential.
Partnerships with parents are a significant strength of the setting. Leaders prioritise daily
communication, spending time with parents during handovers to share key information
about children's experiences, wellbeing and progress. Leaders extend their support to
parents with advice and guidance on current needs they may have, such as support for toilet
training, sleep or toothbrushing. These interactions are purposeful and supportive, helping to
build trust and ensure consistency between home and nursery.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive at this small, welcoming nursery happy, confident and ready to engage in the
day ahead. They are warmly greeted by highly skilled, attentive staff who know them well,
offer reassurance where needed and support smooth separations from carers. Children
quickly settle into familiar routines and carefully considered environments that reflect their
interests, helping them feel secure, valued and ready to learn.
Children access a rich and ambitious curriculum where learning is embedded through
purposeful play. In the toddler room, children explore water, filling jugs and pouring,
observing what happens as water mixes with mud. They independently work out how to
access more water, such as when they tip bowls and containers to gather every last drop.
They demonstrate curiosity, persistence, problem-solving skills and sustained engagement.
Mealtimes are a highly social and learning-rich experience. Children of different ages eat
together, taking pride in shared responsibility as they set tables and prepare for meals. Staff
skilfully support children to try new foods and develop healthy habits, reinforcing messages
such as 'feeding your body and mind so you can lift heavy things and solve problems'.

Inspector:
Tracy Hopkins
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2749473
Children proudly show each other their growing muscles as they eat, reinforcing their
understanding of health, strength and self-care through positive social interaction.
Children who speak English as an additional language are supported exceptionally well.
Staff intentionally learn key words in children's home languages to strengthen understanding
and relationships. Visual prompts, gestures and repetition are used consistently, enabling
children to participate fully, communicate their needs and build confidence in expressing
themselves.
Children extend their understanding of the world through rich, developmentally appropriate
interactions with staff. Children's learning is targeted and supported when staff work closely
with parents and other professionals and use precise assessment to identify their individual
needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included and
achieve well when staff regularly review and adapt their provision. Children thrive in this
nursery and are well prepared for their next stage of learning.
Next steps
Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure
continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a
transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children and
those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, including the special educational needs and disabilities
coordinator, children, staff and parents during the inspection.
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 provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Address:
Welham Street
Grantham
NG31 6QU
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 07/12/2023
Registered person: Ashbourne Day Nurseries Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Lincolnshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 8 April 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
46
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.
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,
please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium,
under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy
Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:
psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.
This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk.
Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information
and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn.
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
T: 0300 123 1231
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
© Crown copyright 2026

© Crown copyright