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

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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.

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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.

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Achievement Strong standard

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.

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Achievement Strong standard

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.

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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.

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Inclusion Strong standard

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.

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Inclusion Strong standard

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.

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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.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

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.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

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.

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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.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

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.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

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.

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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.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

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.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

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.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

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.

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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.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

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.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

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.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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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.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

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.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

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.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

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.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

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.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

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.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

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.

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Next steps

The provider should strengthen staff interactions, so they consistently extend children's thinking, language and understanding during everyday routines and planned activities.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and parents during the inspection.

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Altrincham Early Years Education Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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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.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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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.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

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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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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