The Tiny Toes Nursery Club, Hertford

Real glasses, metal cutlery and china plates give Tiny Toes’ Curiosity Approach a concrete expression: children explore everyday objects and decide how to use open-ended materials in their play. A dedicated Baby Unit in a separate building adds another practical distinction, with its own private garden and sensory resources.

The Tiny Toes Nursery Club, Hertford has capacity for 42 children aged 2 months to 5 years. Ofsted rated it Good at its June 2021 inspection. That is a dated judgement, rather than an assessment of the newer Baby Unit, which opened in 2025.

Full days and morning or afternoon half days sit alongside term-time-only attendance options. The detail matters here: families can choose between different lengths of nursery day rather than organising everything around a single pattern.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit serves babies aged approximately 6–18 months in a separate building, where a private garden and specialist sensory resources give the youngest children their own space to explore. Within the main building, the upstairs Toddler Room serves approximately 18–24 months and emphasises growing independence and exploration. The downstairs Preschool Room serves approximately 2–5 years, with everyday independence practised through dressing, serving meals, tidying and following group routines.

Wooden and wicker resources, softly lit reading corners and ordinary objects such as kitchen scales and cups shape the rooms. These are materials children can investigate and use in different ways, rather than toys with one prescribed purpose.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the shared early-years framework, covering children’s learning through play, communication, movement and exploration. Tiny Toes adds the Curiosity Approach, using natural materials, real objects and loose parts that children can combine and explore according to their interests. Practitioners guide investigations and help children work through problems.

Learning also runs through ordinary tasks. Children help prepare snacks and lay the lunch table, while counting songs, rhymes and storytelling bring early number and language work into play. These examples make the approach tangible: independence is practised during the day, rather than saved for a separate lesson.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two gardens provide daily outdoor play, with one for babies aged 6–18 months and the other for children aged 18 months to 5 years. Gardening areas, construction play and water and sand activities give children different ways to use the space; shaded quiet areas also make room for reading.

Children can move between indoor and outdoor activities through a free-flow arrangement. Counting leaves or petals brings early maths outdoors, while mixing mud pies introduces science through play. Talking about weather and seasons gives children something concrete to discuss. Recent outings have included Hertford museum and Costa coffee, extending exploration beyond the nursery buildings. These are examples of trips, rather than a fixed weekly schedule.

A key person is assigned to each child, getting to know their routines, interests and emotional responses. Settling begins with a session before the official start, when families share information about comfort items and individual needs. The initial settling session is usually shorter, and parents may stay for part of it if needed. Attendance increases in response to the child’s readiness. The practical value is continuity: the adults caring for a child begin with information from home.

Communication continues through an app, with photographs, observations, next steps and progress reports. Parents can contribute their own observations and comments, so the exchange works both ways. Written progress reports also help families follow development beyond the daily account of meals and activities.

For SEND, a coordinator works with families and outside professionals, with individual support plans and targeted interventions when needed. Secure entry arrangements, CCTV and collection procedures are part of the nursery’s practical safety arrangements.

An on-site chef prepares meals on a 15-day menu cycle, with vegetarian, pescatarian and weaning options. Menus are planned to avoid common allergens and intolerances; families managing allergies should confirm their child’s current arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 41 Chambers Street, Hertford, SG14 1PL. Opening hours are 7.30am–6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year, with bank holidays and inset days closed.

Full-day bookings run from 7.30am to 6.30pm, including a Monday-to-Friday full-week option. Morning half days run from 7.30am to 12.30pm; afternoon half days run from 1pm to 6pm. Term-time-only options are also offered. The minimum weekly booking is either two morning or afternoon sessions, or one full day, so the choice involves both session length and a recurring weekly commitment.

The enquiry form is the route for contacting the nursery, and managers aim to respond within 72 hours. A nursery tour can then be arranged.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children can use 15 and 30 hours funded childcare, including under-twos and children aged 2, 3 and 4. Funding is stretched across 51 weeks: the 15 hours scheme provides a maximum of 11.4 hours weekly, while the 30 hours scheme provides up to 22.8. Additional hours beyond the funded entitlement are charged separately.

For private childcare, meals, drinks and snacks are included in the fee. During funded sessions, meals and snacks are charged separately through voluntary contributions, as are consumables including nappies, wipes and sun cream. External specialist sessions such as Boogie Bear and external trips also fall outside the funded entitlement.

Fees are paid monthly in advance, and a non-refundable registration charge applies when securing a place. Normal charges apply during bank holidays and inset days; sickness and holidays do not attract credits or refunds. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their attendance pattern and any extras.

• The Baby Unit’s age band. Its dedicated provision is for approximately 6–18 months. On a tour, discuss the room arrangement for a younger baby and how the move to the Toddler Room works.
• Funded hours across the year. Entitlement is stretched over 51 weeks, with voluntary meal and consumables contributions charged separately. Compare the weekly funded hours with the sessions your family needs.
• Recurring booking and closures. At least two morning or afternoon sessions, or one full day, must be booked weekly. Charges continue during bank holidays and inset days, so those closures affect both care arrangements and budgeting.

Tiny Toes suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, including those considering term-time-only care. Its strongest practical attractions are the separate Baby Unit, two gardens and a Curiosity Approach made tangible through everyday materials. Key-person settling and two-way parent communication add useful continuity. The main decisions are which room and session pattern fit the child, and how stretched funding fits the family’s weekly routine.