Tiddlywinks Pre-School

A shared garden, familiar stories and a key person backed by a buddy give Tiddlywinks Pre-School its character. This Ambrosden setting puts relationships and language into everyday routines, with children from its Caterpillar Room and Butterfly Room spending time together outside. For families in its military community, the emphasis on managing changes and forming new relationships has a clear practical purpose.

At its 4 March 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Tiddlywinks Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised personalised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), developed with parents and other professionals. The same visit identified two teaching priorities: closer attention to children's next learning steps outdoors, and better engagement during freely chosen activities.

There are 48 places in total. Caterpillar Room caters for children from 12 months to 3 years, while Butterfly Room covers ages 3 to 5; these are room age bands, rather than promises about group size. Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day sessions, plus earlier and later options.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillar Room, for ages 12 months to 3 years, uses familiar stories including Dear Zoo to develop language; Butterfly Room, for ages 3 to 5, revisits books such as The Tiger that Came to Tea for the same purpose. Repeated reading gives children opportunities to recognise a story and build vocabulary rather than continually move to unfamiliar material.

The shared garden provides daily contact between younger and older children. That matters at the move between rooms: children can already know one another before they change groups. Younger children learn alongside older peers, while the older children practise considering the needs of someone younger.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning, development and care here, including communication, physical skills, relationships, early literacy and mathematics. In parent language, that means play and adult support are used together to help children talk, move, manage feelings and explore ideas. It is the common framework for early-years provision, rather than a special programme exclusive to Tiddlywinks.

The local approach combines planned group activities with play shaped by children's interests. Topic plans are made annually and adjusted as those interests and needs change. Small-group work and daily individual intervention provide ways to give additional attention to an area a child needs help with. Song time closes each session, and singing also happens during the day.

Emotional development has concrete resources behind it. A feelings registration board, small-group activities and daily conversations help children express how they feel; Yoga sessions, exercise and rest or sleep also form part of the wellbeing approach.

In March 2025, The Bear Hunt Cave was a book space children used during the day, alongside shared reading and independent browsing. Other activities followed children's interests: younger children explored toy farm animals, while older children used brushes to uncover dinosaur bones. These examples show how familiar interests could become starting points for play and learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

During March 2025, outdoor activity included running, balancing and climbing, while dough work indoors gave children practice using their hands and fingers. Those experiences served different physical needs: whole-body movement outside and finer control inside. Outdoor teaching, however, did not consistently target what the participating children most needed to learn next.

Family craft afternoons and barbecues take place through the year, alongside outings. The Annual Family BBQ gives the family calendar a named recurring event. The emphasis is on families spending time together with the setting, complementing the everyday contact with staff.

Relationships and Communication

The key person approach gives each child an adult who gets to know their interests, development and family, supported by a buddy. Settling is flexible, with the key person present for introductory visits where possible. The buddy is introduced early, so care can continue through a familiar relationship when the key person is away.

That continuity has a qualification: the key person or buddy cannot be present on every occasion, and another familiar member of staff may take over. Families are kept informed about changes of key person and, where possible, planned absences. Daily exchanges, diaries, shared observations and meetings provide different routes for keeping home and preschool connected.

Tapestry is used to capture examples of children's achievements and progress, helping staff build a picture over time and decide what to teach next. In March 2025, parents also had regular stay-and-play opportunities, parents' evenings and celebration events. These gave families time in the setting as well as information about their child's day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENDCo role provides a point of coordination for additional needs. In March 2025, individual support plans drew on parents' knowledge and professional input, and the learning space had been arranged to reduce distractions. Additional funding was directed towards individual children's needs. These are concrete support mechanisms, rather than a blanket promise about every child's experience.

Language support includes conversation, singing and repeated stories, with attention to children learning English as an additional language. In March 2025, staff also used pictures and simple signs to aid understanding. Children could therefore receive information through more than spoken words alone.

Designated safeguarding lead roles and paediatric first-aid-trained staff form part of the care arrangements. In March 2025, the preschool employed 13 staff, including seven with level 3 qualifications and two with level 2 qualifications; that is a dated staffing picture, not a statement about today's deployment. Visitors must show photographic identification and leave phones and wearable devices in the office.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Playgroup Building, Alder Drive, Ambrosden, Bicester, OX25 2RD. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01869 247 277 or through the contact form.

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am, and afternoons from 11.50am to 2.50pm, Monday to Friday. Full-day sessions run from 8.30am to 2.50pm. An Early Morning option covers 8am to 8.30am, while After School runs from 2.50pm to 4pm. Families must book at least two sessions each week.

Tiddlywinks operates during term time and follows the Five Acres Primary school calendar.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is accepted for children aged 1 to 4, including the 15-hour entitlement from the term following a child's third birthday. Provision is term-time. Paid sessions and the early and late options sit alongside funded attendance; families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

Parents supply a packed lunch for Lunch club, which runs from 11.20am to 11.50am and carries a separate charge. This places lunch preparation with the family while the setting provides the club session.

Invoices are sent monthly, payment is due by the 7th, and fees are paid in advance. Charges continue when a child misses booked attendance through illness or a holiday during term time, so those absences still affect the family budget. The session and funding information sets out the charging structure.

• Teaching during choice time. In March 2025, some children waited without adult input after lunch, and outdoor teaching sometimes missed their immediate learning needs. At a visit, ask how staff now support purposeful play during these parts of the day.
• Term-time commitments. The minimum booking is two sessions a week, and attendance follows the Five Acres Primary school calendar. Compare that pattern with work commitments and holiday childcare needs before choosing sessions.
• Continuity and personal care. The key person system includes a buddy, with familiar staff taking over when needed. Discuss who would support your child's settling.

Tiddlywinks suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon attendance as well as those wanting full-day sessions with early or late extensions. Repeated stories, a daily shared garden and a key person with buddy support give its offer a clear shape. Its attention to military-family transitions is also relevant to parents anticipating changes of environment or relationships.

The March 2025 teaching priorities deserve weight alongside the positive inspection position. The useful distinction is between providing activities and ensuring that every child receives timely adult support to learn from them. Families who value close communication and a relationship-led start have concrete reasons to consider Tiddlywinks, with those teaching questions forming an important part of their visit.