Tiddlywinks Nursery School, Ramsbottom

Growing vegetables, borrowing books and weighing natural materials give this Ramsbottom nursery a practical character. In October 2024, these experiences connected learning with things children could handle, compare and take home.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 31 October 2024. Tiddlywinks Nursery School, Ramsbottom has capacity for 60 children, from birth to five, at 99 Square Street.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play and interaction serve a learning purpose as well as keeping children occupied.

In October 2024, the outdoor classroom brought that principle to life. Children cultivated fruit and vegetables, watched them develop and took their harvest home for soup. Outdoor scales gave them a way to compare weight and size. These were concrete experiences of change, measurement and food, rather than disconnected activities.

Books offered another thread through the day. That October, babies handled books with textured surfaces, toddlers practised turning pages, and preschool children discussed familiar story characters. A lending library extended reading into home life. Mathematics also appeared in everyday activities following staff training, giving children repeated opportunities to count and explore shapes and measurement.

There were weaknesses alongside those examples. In October 2024, activity planning sometimes failed to use staff's knowledge of children's learning to set a clear next step. Adults also occasionally answered their own questions too quickly, leaving children too little thinking time.

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, positive relationships between staff and children, and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through tailored plans, achievable milestones and adaptations to their surroundings.

That October, songs, affectionate reassurance and comforting words helped babies settle. Staff joined babies' instrument play and demonstrated drumming, turning an exploration into a shared exchange.

Behaviour was taught through everyday interactions. In October 2024, toddlers practised waiting their turn, while preschool children helped friends obtain the equipment needed to join games. Rooms also celebrated festivals connected with children's heritage, giving their family experiences a place in nursery life.

Targeted small-group activities were part of SEND provision that October. Early years pupil premium supported staff training and resources, including a light-up globe used for drawing and mark-making. These examples show how resources and activity arrangements were matched to particular learning needs at that time.

The address is 99 Square Street, Ramsbottom, Bury, BL0 9AZ. The nursery operates throughout the year, closing on bank holidays.

In October 2024, session times ran from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Government-funded childcare was offered then for children aged between nine months and five years.

• Planning the next step. October 2024 activity plans did not consistently build on children's existing skills. On a visit, ask how observations now shape the next activity for an individual child.
• Time to answer. Adults sometimes supplied answers before children had enough thinking time in October 2024. Look for conversations that let children develop their own response.
• Attendance and costs. How would your intended weekly attendance work, including funded hours, meals and consumables, and what would the nursery's current written quotation cover?

Tiddlywinks suits families who value practical learning and a connection between nursery and home: October 2024 examples included growing food and borrowing books. Its Good judgement sits alongside two clear teaching priorities, sharper planning and more patient questioning. Those are useful points to explore when deciding whether its approach fits your child.