Smartie Pants Tetney

Wooden planks for balancing, garden investigations and children pouring their own drinks give Smartie Pants Tetney's July 2021 account a practical, hands-on character. This is a nursery within the grounds of Tetney Primary School, with capacity for 24 children aged two to five.

At its July 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, while identifying a need for staff to engage younger children more successfully during planned activities. That distinction matters: enthusiastic independent exploration and adult-led learning did not work equally well for every age.

In July 2021, outdoor play included water resources, a fairy garden and an area for pretending to be at school. Children practised balancing on wooden planks and investigated wrapped objects, with staff encouraging them to predict the contents before opening them. These were concrete opportunities to experiment, move and explain ideas.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing play, communication and practical skills into the nursery day. In July 2021, staff extended counting through discussion of numbers above and below 10. A pretend cooking activity asked children to collect ingredients by following instructions, giving listening a practical purpose.

Community experiences also featured in July 2021. Visits to a wooded area brought children into contact with plants, leaves and wildlife, including squirrels. However, some younger children lost interest during planned activities because staff had not sufficiently considered how to sustain their attention.

At the July 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very effective, including photographs before starting and gradually lengthened introductory sessions. For those children, familiarity began before attendance and continued through a paced start.

In July 2021, children shared toys, took turns and included younger friends at snack time. Staff used encouragement and reminders about indoor movement to support behaviour. Supervision meetings gave practitioners opportunities to discuss their work and further training, while in-house training helped them respond consistently to behaviour.

Independence had a practical place in July 2021 school preparation: children buttered crackers safely and poured drinks themselves, with time to complete tasks. Staff also applied safeguarding procedures, checked continuing staff suitability and ensured children wore sun cream outdoors in hot weather.

The address is Tetney Primary School, Humberston Road, Tetney, Grimsby, DN36 5NG. Opening hours are 8.45am to 2.45pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays.

In July 2021, session times were also 8.45am to 2.45pm, and the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. These funding arrangements describe that period.

Being within school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to follow the local authority admissions process.

• Younger children's engagement. The July 2021 improvement point concerned maintaining their interest in planned activities. On a visit, ask how activities are adapted for the youngest children.
• School-calendar care. Term-time opening and school-holiday closures make the nursery's calendar a central consideration for working families.
• A gradual start. July 2021 support for children with SEND included photographs and progressively longer introductory sessions. Ask how that approach would be tailored to your child now.

Smartie Pants Tetney suits families seeking term-time care within a primary-school setting. Its July 2021 account gives useful substance to that choice: practical independence, outdoor exploration and considerate peer relationships. The dated improvement point about younger children's engagement deserves attention alongside those strengths.