Tiddlywinks Pre-School, Poverest

Outdoor physical play gives this small, school-site pre-school a clear character. Tiddlywinks Pre-School @ Poverest has capacity for 27 children and accepts children from two to five at Poverest Primary School in Orpington. In June 2024, Ofsted judged the setting Good across every published area and found safeguarding arrangements effective. At that time, children climbed, rode bikes and found bugs outdoors as staff used their interests to develop new skills.

The working week is term time, Monday to Friday. Families can choose a morning, short or long afternoon, or full-day pattern, then add Breakfast Club, Lunch Club or School Day Collection where it fits. That is a practical spread for households whose childcare needs change across the week, rather than a single long-day model.

Selected-day Reception phonics sessions at Poverest Primary School give the offer a recognisable school-readiness strand. Tot Stars multi-sports, a weekly externally coached session covering skills from several sports, adds an optional paid activity. Those are concrete parts of the Poverest routine, not generic nursery extras.

Learning and named experiences

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, is the framework that guides learning, development and care. At Tiddlywinks, that means children choose from activities and also take part in adult-led small and larger groups. Planning and observations cover the areas of learning, so a child gets time to pursue an interest as well as structured opportunities to practise language, physical skills, early literacy, mathematics and creative work.

The daily routine gives that approach some useful texture. Free play runs indoors and outside across all seven areas of learning, alongside small-group activity, healthy snacks and toothbrushing. In June 2024, outdoor play included climbing, bikes and bug-finding. At that time, the curriculum was well sequenced and assessment informed the next learning step.

On selected days, a group joins the Reception classes' phonics session at Poverest Primary School. That is a shared learning experience for children in the group, with a specific early-language emphasis. Tot Stars multi-sports is a separate weekly session led by an external coach, using activities from several sports to develop movement skills. It is separately charged, so it belongs in the family budget conversation rather than being assumed to be part of the core day.

Outdoor and community life

In June 2024, children shared outdoor space with Reception children. This gave them chances to play alongside older children and build confidence across age groups at that time. The setting's own routine continues to place indoor and outdoor free play side by side, which makes physical activity part of the day rather than a standalone event.

A key person is allocated before a child starts. The settling approach includes a visiting session, a plan agreed with parents and staggered starts, giving families a gradual route into the usual pattern rather than every new child beginning on the same day. The key person also coordinates developmental records and regular information-sharing with parents.

ClassDojo is the communication app for messages and photographs. That provides a simple day-to-day channel alongside conversations with the key person, while the published settling steps set out the sequence before a start date.

The June 2024 inspection found safeguarding arrangements effective. It also asked the provider to give children more time to try and practise skills independently, and to make adult expectations around the curriculum and behaviour more consistent. Those two points matter because independence and predictable routines shape a child's experience through every session.

Tiddlywinks Pre-School @ Poverest is based at Poverest Primary School, Tillingbourne Green, Orpington, BR5 2JD. It operates Monday to Friday in term time and closes on public holidays.

Sessions and attendance

The core booking choices are a morning session from 09:00 to 12:00, a short afternoon from 13:00 to 15:30, a long afternoon from 13:00 to 16:00 and a full day from 09:00 to 14:00. Breakfast Club runs from 08:30 to 09:00 and Lunch Club from 12:00 to 13:00. School Day Collection runs from 14:00 to 15:00.

A home-school agreement confirms the regular pattern. Sessions carry into the following term unless changed, and a reduction or other change requires six weeks' notice. That makes it sensible to settle the household's usual week before committing to a combination of core sessions and add-ons.

Funding, food and practical extras

The provider participates in universal funding for three- and four-year-olds, Together for Two and working-parent funding from age two, through a flexible model for accessing funded hours. Current nursery-specific prices are supplied in the provider's written quotation.

Breakfast Club includes cereals and a drink. Snacks for afternoon and later sessions are paid for by the provider, while school-dinner options from Poverest Primary School carry a separate charge on school days; families can instead send a packed lunch. Parents provide nappies and wipes. Tot Stars is also separately charged, so funded hours and paid extras need discussing together.

Regular attendance pattern. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions sit alongside breakfast, lunch and collection add-ons. The home-school agreement carries the chosen pattern into the following term, with six weeks' notice for changes.

Food and paid extras. Afternoon snacks are paid for by the provider. School dinners and Tot Stars are separately charged, while families provide nappies and wipes. Families managing allergies should confirm current lunch arrangements directly.

Independence and routine. The June 2024 improvement points concerned giving children more opportunity to practise skills themselves and applying expectations consistently. Discuss how those priorities now work in a typical session.

Reception phonics. A group joins the Reception classes' phonics session on selected days. Ask how this shared activity is scheduled for a child who would attend the relevant sessions.

Tiddlywinks Pre-School @ Poverest combines a Good June 2024 judgement with an active, physical picture and current practical choice. The most useful specifics are the selected-day Reception phonics sessions, outdoor free play, ClassDojo communication and the optional Tot Stars coaching.

It is best suited to families who want a term-time morning or afternoon pre-school pattern, as well as those who need a full day with add-on clubs. The six-week notice rule means that the agreement deserves careful attention before a regular pattern is set. School dinners and Tot Stars are separately charged, while families provide consumables such as nappies and wipes.