Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Leavesden

Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Leavesden is a newly registered provision (2023) operating with 13 staff, of which 7 hold Level 3+ qualifications. The inspection used the legacy 4-area framework (Quality of Education, Behaviour & Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership & Management), all graded 'Requires Improvement'. These findings map to the November 2025 7-area framework as follows: Quality of Education → Curriculum and Teaching (60); Behaviour & Attitudes → Behaviour, Attitudes and Establishing Routines (65); Personal Development → Inclusion (62) and Children's Welfare and Well-being (68); Leadership & Management → Leadership and Governance (58). Safeguarding arrangements are effective (Met). The nursery demonstrates warm, nurturing staff relationships and good physical development opportunities, but critical weaknesses exist in curriculum sequencing, activity adaptation, questioning techniques, and SEND support. The new leadership team has begun implementing improvements and recognises areas for development, providing a foundation for rapid progress.