Tiny Tots Day Care Nursery

A separate sleep room for babies, sheltered outdoor play and woodland adventures give Tiny Tots Day Care Nursery a character that extends beyond its purpose-built rooms. This Cheshunt setting cares for children aged 3 months to 5 years at The Forum, Paul Close. Its appeal lies in the combination of practical baby care, learning through play and experiences beyond the nursery.

At its 15 August 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and safeguarding effective, while identifying a need to keep older children more consistently occupied in meaningful learning. That qualification matters alongside the positive detail: books, conversation and everyday independence featured strongly in the nursery day.

Families can choose morning, afternoon, school-day or full-day sessions, with both year-round and term-time attendance options. The differences between those patterns, including the term-time holiday retainer, deserve as much attention as the activities.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room serves under-twos, combining textures, light and sound with dedicated nappy-changing and milk-preparation areas; a separate sleep room keeps rest apart from active play.

For children aged 2 to 3, the Toddler Room combines potty training, independence and frequent garden access, bringing outdoor movement alongside care routines.

The Pre-School Room caters for children aged 3 and over: child-sized toilets and mealtimes support independence, while animal-life-cycle themes connect language, number, art and physical learning.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and development. Staff observe progress and adapt play with sand, construction materials, dressing-up and playdough to develop communication, thinking and independence.

Forest School adds nature exploration through woodland den building, foraging and fire-making. Specialist instructors lead football, yoga and tennis; regular drama, dance and music sessions add opportunities for movement and expression.

In August 2025, reading reached beyond a single story session. Babies handled textured books, while older children explored shells alongside Sharing a Shell. Returning to familiar stories gave children opportunities to connect words, objects and ideas rather than move immediately to the next book.

Other examples from August 2025 were equally concrete. Water play introduced ideas about volume through filling and mixing, and contrasting sponge sizes gave younger children an accessible starting point for mathematical language. Older children used scissors and made playdough, building the hand control needed for writing. The outstanding improvement point concerned the environment around these activities: older children needed more consistent engagement in purposeful play.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two sheltered outdoor areas are used across the day, making outdoor play less dependent on dry weather. Gardening includes growing vegetables, herbs and flowers, with composting and collected rainwater introducing practical environmental habits. Children can see how caring for plants connects with the food and materials around them.

Trips for children aged 2 and older include Hertfordshire Zoo, Broxbourne Woods, Trent Park, Aldenham Country Park and Spotlight Theatre, with minibus transport included in the trips package. Animals, woodland and performance extend learning beyond the garden.

In August 2025, visits to care-home residents and flower donations through local businesses gave children opportunities to meet people beyond their families and nursery group.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person works with parents, manages learning records and addresses concerns. A settling procedure and informal collection handovers support that continuing relationship.

The nursery's progress-tracking tool and app share developmental updates, photographs and videos, giving parents material to discuss with their child and key person.

In August 2025, parent consultations were supported by home learning bags and lending libraries. Family members shared stories in their home languages and participated in sports days and graduation celebrations. Family photographs displayed around the rooms also gave children familiar people to talk about during the nursery day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The baby sleep room is monitored by CCTV, with sleeping children checked at 10-minute intervals. The distinction between a dedicated resting space and the active room is useful for families whose babies still need daytime sleep. Milk preparation and nappy changing also have their own areas.

Behaviour support follows the nursery's Therapeutic Approaches: modelling, encouragement and positive relationships help children practise sharing, patience and resolving difficulties.

Meals are prepared by a cook in the nursery kitchen, and children sometimes visit to ask questions or bake. In August 2025, children served food for themselves and cleared their plates, making mealtimes an opportunity to practise independence as well as eat.

Sessions and Attendance

Tiny Tots opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, including school holidays. Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm; Morning from 8am to 1pm; Afternoon from 1pm to 6pm; and School Day from 8.30am to 4pm. Shorter sessions can also be arranged subject to availability.

The minimum booking is two sessions each week, taken on different days. Both year-round and term-time attendance are offered. Term-time attendance covers 39 school-term weeks and carries a holiday retainer; all-year full-day bookings avoid that retainer. Morning, afternoon and school-day bookings also carry session surcharges, so the pattern affects the quotation as well as the timetable.

Bank holidays and the Christmas closure week are not charged. There is also an annual staff-training closure, plus a 4pm finish for graduation once each year, with advance notice given to parents. These additional dates matter when arranging care around working hours.

Getting There

The address is The Forum, Paul Close, Hammondstreet Road, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, EN7 6DX. Designated parking is immediately outside, and access uses a face-recognition entry system.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01707 870417 or through the online enquiry form. Families receive a personalised written quotation based on the days and sessions requested.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts 15 & 30 hours of government funding for eligible children, alongside privately paid childcare. Private fees include meals, snacks, nappies, wipes and sun cream; funded hours carry separate charges for food and non-food consumables within an extras package. These are different charging arrangements and should be understood separately.

For funded hours, the package also covers activities, events and parent support, with trips included for children aged 2 and older. Individual items can be opted out of, but the terms apply their individual costs to items opted out of. Formula is supplied up to 12 months; parents provide it beyond that age.

Fees are payable monthly in advance. A non-refundable registration charge applies, with an exemption for children attending only funded hours, and reducing attendance or ending the contract requires one month's written notice or payment in lieu. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and session details explain the charging structure.

• Older children's engagement. The August 2025 improvement point concerned keeping older children consistently involved in purposeful play. The Pre-School Room's learning environment therefore deserves close attention when choosing care for an older child.
• The attendance pattern changes the bill. Term-time bookings carry a school-holiday retainer, and shorter named sessions have surcharges. Funded-hours extras and individual-item choices also affect the cost of the family's chosen pattern.
• Baby routines and food needs. A separate sleep room and checks every 10 minutes provide concrete starting points for discussing rest. Use the visit to explain your baby's routine and, where relevant, ask how dietary needs and allergies are managed in current practice.
• Closures beyond holidays. Graduation brings an annual 4pm finish, and there is a separate staff-training day. Factor those dates into your care arrangements alongside the bank-holiday and Christmas closures.

Tiny Tots suits families seeking either morning or afternoon sessions, a school-day pattern or care across the full working day, with a choice between term-time and year-round attendance. Its strongest practical features are easy to picture: a separate baby sleep room, sheltered outdoor areas, woodland learning and trips to named local destinations.

The Good judgement from August 2025 provides a positive inspection position, tempered by the specific concern about older children's sustained engagement. For parents, the decision comes down to how well those rooms and experiences match their child's stage, and whether the session and extras structure fits the family budget.