Pippa's House Day Nursery, Ash Vale

Familiar routines and quieter spaces are an important part of nursery life. Our sensory room gives children a dedicated space to step away from busier activities and enjoy a change of pace, while cosy reading areas provide comfortable places to share stories and enjoy quieter moments. Outdoors, the courtyard gives children opportunities to move, play and be active throughout the day.

Keeping families involved in nursery life is important to us too. Stay and Play sessions, sports days and breakfast sessions throughout the year create opportunities for families to spend time with us and share in their child’s nursery experience.

Through the GrandirUK App, families receive regular updates about their child’s day, including meals and activities, helping them stay connected with nursery life.

Days at Pippa’s House Ash Vale are filled with opportunities to play, explore and learn together. Imaginative play, storytime, role play and small-group activities give children different ways to develop their communication and growing independence.

Spanish lessons, music and movement, our loose parts classroom and Forest School sessions bring even more variety to the week. Regular outings around Ash Vale extend these experiences beyond the nursery, helping children become familiar with the people and places in their local community.

Our nursery is arranged into three dedicated rooms for different ages and stages, each thoughtfully resourced around the needs and interests of the children who spend their time there.

• Baby room: A cosy, nurturing space downstairs, where our team work closely with families to understand and follow familiar routines from home.
  
  
• Toddler room: A thoughtfully arranged space with opportunities for messy play, crafts, loose parts play and sensory experiences.
  
  
• Preschool room: A purposeful space supporting growing independence, early literacy and communication, alongside the skills that help prepare children for school.

Children move into their next room when they are developmentally and emotionally ready, with our early years team working closely with families to support each transition.

Beyond the main playrooms, our splat room provides a dedicated space for painting and messy play, while the loose parts classroom offers open-ended materials for children to explore, build and problem-solve with. Cosy reading areas with comfortable seating provide spaces for quieter moments with books and stories, while our sensory room offers another dedicated space where children can step away from busier activities and enjoy a change of pace.

Outdoor space

Our small courtyard is thoughtfully arranged for play, exploration and physical development. Bikes, blocks, spades and buckets give children different ways to move, create and play, alongside opportunities to explore sand and water.

Nature-based experiences are part of outdoor time at the nursery, giving children opportunities to investigate their surroundings, develop their physical skills and follow their curiosity through hands-on play.

High-quality care at Ash Vale starts with knowing each child well. Small classroom groups give our team more opportunities to spend focused time with children, understand their individual needs and provide personal attention throughout the day.

Our in-house chef prepares fresh, nutritious meals each day, making mealtimes another thoughtfully considered part of children’s nursery experience.

Our curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with a curiosity-led approach that gives children opportunities to explore, ask questions and make discoveries through play.

Meaningful learning experiences are shaped around children’s interests and stages of development, supporting them as they settle in at their own pace, develop new skills and begin to make sense of the world around them.

Curiosity comes first at Pippa’s House Ash Vale. Our curiosity-led approach gives children opportunities to ask questions, follow their interests and discover more about the world around them through play.

That curiosity can take learning in all sorts of directions: into the splat room for creative exploration, out to the courtyard or beyond the nursery on a walk through Ash Vale. With support from familiar adults, children have opportunities to make choices, try new things and grow in confidence.

For families with more than one child, having siblings at the same nursery means one drop-off and pick-up, while each child can enjoy a room suited to their own age and stage.

Our small classrooms and shared courtyard give brothers and sisters in different rooms opportunities to see each other and share parts of their nursery day.

Sibling places are subject to availability, but where we have space in the appropriate room, we will always look at the options for welcoming brothers and sisters together.

Led by Nursery Manager Amy, our experienced team at Pippa’s House Ash Vale take time to get to know each child and understand their individual needs, interests and development.

The team work closely with families throughout the week, answering questions and sharing children’s progress. This regular communication helps us work together to support each child as they settle in at their own pace, develop new skills and grow in confidence.