Tiddley Tots Nursery Newington Green

Snail hunts, planting and a garden equipped for climbing give Tiddley Tots Nursery Newington Green a concrete outdoor character. In May 2024, children explored water, dug in soil and made a small zoo for the snails they collected. These were opportunities to follow an interest and turn it into play, alongside activities planned by staff.

At its May 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, found safeguarding effective and described key persons working with parents and other professionals to plan support for children with additional needs. That gives families a positive assessment with a clear date, rather than a promise about every child's experience.

The nursery has 30 places in total and accepts children from 3 months to 5 years. Its home is Bronte House, New Orleans Walk, London N16 8LG. Full days, mornings, afternoons and a shorter daytime session serve different family routines.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: in daily life, that means developing communication, movement, relationships and independence through play and supported activities. Here, the May 2024 examples included singing, stories, threading, painting and making creatures from play dough. The detail matters more than a curriculum slogan. Children could use their hands, make choices and contribute their own ideas.

During singing in May 2024, babies joined in and children chose songs, supplied missing words and waited for a turn. Songs therefore provided opportunities to practise listening and communication as well as enjoying music. Story choices also formed part of the day, with children selecting books and sharing them with others.

Construction play offered another kind of shared task. In May 2024, children joined sections of a train track, extended it together and repaired it when it came apart. That is a useful example of cooperation embedded in play: a common project gives children a reason to talk, negotiate and keep trying.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden was spacious in May 2024, with bikes and climbing equipment as well as opportunities for digging and planting. It supported both energetic movement and closer investigation of living things. Water play and snail hunting gave children different ways to explore the same outdoor space.

For families who value outdoor activity, this is a substantial part of the nursery's inspection-era picture. It also gives a useful distinction between organised tasks and children's own exploration. Staff planned learning, while children had room to pursue an idea of their own.

Relationships and Communication

Key persons were familiar figures in children's daily lives in May 2024. Staff spoke with children, listened to them and included individual greetings in the morning singing routine. For a young child, that offers a personal connection within a shared nursery day.

Parents received app updates and curriculum newsletters in May 2024. These served different purposes: the app maintained contact about nursery life, while newsletters explained what children were learning. Together, they gave parents material for conversations and activities beyond nursery hours.

Independence also appeared in ordinary routines. In May 2024, children prepared their coats for outdoor play, washed their hands, helped themselves at lunch and cut cucumber for a snack. These are small, practical responsibilities. They give children opportunities to participate in their own care rather than leaving every task to an adult.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The current branch team includes a SENCO role and a nursery chef, alongside practitioners and management. A SENCO provides an identified role for coordinating special educational needs support; the chef role makes food preparation part of the branch's staffing structure. Neither role alone establishes the quality of its delivery.

At the May 2024 inspection, Ofsted asked the nursery to strengthen staff interactions and behaviour support, especially when children directed their own play, with closer attention to whether training changed practice. This is the main qualification to the Good judgement. Families should weigh the engaging planned activities alongside the need for more effective adult support during less structured play.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year and closes on bank holidays. Opening hours and booked attendance are separate decisions: families can choose a Full Day from 8am to 6pm, a Middle Session from 9am to 4.30pm, Half Day AM from 8am to 1pm, or Half Day PM from 1pm to 6pm.

Funded attendance patterns include three full days for 30 hours, or three morning or afternoon sessions for 15 hours. The Middle Session can be taken over four days for 30 hours or two days for 15 hours. These arrangements depend on eligibility checks and nursery capacity; they do not establish an entitlement to a particular booking.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 30 Hours Free Childcare for Working Parents, 15 Hours Funded Childcare for Eligible 2-Year-Olds, Universal 15 Hours for 3 & 4-Year-Olds and Extended 30 Hours for Eligible 3 & 4-Year-Olds. The funded offer is organised around term-time entitlements, and Tax-Free Childcare is accepted.

Additional private sessions are charged according to the session selected, with a personalised payment plan taking funded hours into account. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Payments fall due monthly in advance, and fees remain payable during absence, including illness.

Meals are included in the session price. There is no separate consumables fee or charge for additional extras, keeping the charge structure straightforward for families comparing funded and privately paid attendance.

• Support during child-led play. The May 2024 improvement point concerned staff interactions and behaviour support. On a visit, ask how training has changed the way adults respond when children choose their own activities or encounter disagreements.
• Choosing the right session. The Middle Session runs from 9am to 4.30pm, alongside full days and separate morning and afternoon bookings. Match the collection time and weekly pattern to the family's routine before choosing an arrangement.
• Baby care and supplies. Children can start from 3 months, and there is no separate consumables charge. Ask how feeding and sleep routines are agreed, and which everyday supplies families should bring.

Tours can be booked by calling 020 4517 6950; families can also contact newingtongreen@tiddleytotsnursery.com.

Tiddley Tots Nursery Newington Green suits families seeking full-day, morning, afternoon or shorter daytime attendance, with funded patterns that can fit different weekly routines. The garden activities, shared construction play and everyday independence give substance to its May 2024 assessment. The behaviour-support improvement point deserves equal attention. This is a nursery to assess through both its practical session choices and the quality of adult involvement when children take the lead.