Tilly Tots Daycare

Bird-feed making, snack votes and younger children learning alongside older peers give Tilly Tots Daycare a recognisable character in its June 2023 account. Based at Bostock Village Hall, London Road, Bostock, CW10 9JP, it has capacity for 16 children.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 21 June 2023 inspection. Children attending then were aged 1 to 4; that age range describes the children at that visit.

In June 2023, learning followed children's interests, with activities chosen to help them take their next developmental steps. The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the day included language, hands-on exploration and learning to cooperate.

Younger children explored flowing gloop with their fingers, while older children shaped bird-feed mixtures, changing the texture with ingredients such as lard. These activities exercised the hand movements used later for writing. Stories, songs and rhymes also featured, and children explored alternative words for big, extending their vocabulary through conversation.

The outdoor slide supplied another practical lesson in June 2023. Children recognised that a wet surface could be slippery and decided to wipe it before playing. Safety became something they could think through themselves.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff understanding how to respond to welfare concerns. In June 2023, younger children joined older children's play, and older children helped them with tasks such as drinking from a cup. Those interactions gave children opportunities to practise consideration alongside independence.

Children also had a voice in food choices that June, voting for snacks and discussing the majority decision. Turkish moussaka featured in learning about other countries, connecting cultural exploration with food.

Parents received daily information and termly progress updates in June 2023. However, suggestions for continuing learning at home were inconsistent, so information about the nursery day did not always translate into useful activities for families.

Bostock Village Hall is the nursery's base. In June 2023, it operated Monday to Thursday across 51 weeks, excluding bank holidays, with session times of 8am to 6pm. These are the arrangements at that visit.

Funded early education for three- and four-year-olds was provided in June 2023. Families considering that historical attendance pattern should weigh the Monday-to-Thursday schedule against their childcare needs.

• Teaching decisions. In June 2023, staff did not consistently recognise when to extend an activity or let children pursue their own ideas. On a visit, ask how practitioners now adapt activities to individual children.
• Learning beyond nursery. June 2023 progress updates were termly, but practical guidance for learning at home was uneven. Discuss how those updates translate into things to try together.
• Attendance fit. The June 2023 timetable covered Monday to Thursday. Ask which current ages and attendance patterns the nursery accepts before planning a working week around it.

For families drawn to hands-on activities and younger and older children learning alongside one another, the June 2023 account offers concrete reasons to consider Tilly Tots Daycare. Snack voting and sensory exploration show children taking an active part in their day. The reservations are equally specific: teaching needed more responsive decisions, and parents needed more consistent help extending learning at home.