Tiny Tots Day Nursery

Music with Makaton signing, fortnightly movement sessions and regular library outings give Tiny Tots Day Nursery a day that reaches beyond its own garden. This Chingford setting accepts children from 3 months to 5 years, combining play-based learning with a key person who uses observations to plan around each child's interests. The practical emphasis is on participation: singing, moving, choosing resources and learning to do things independently.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. That judgement sits alongside two clear development points: organising group activities so children sustain their attention, and extending staff reflection on teaching.

Attendance centres on full days, with an additional early-start booking for families who need it. The funded-only arrangement has its own rules, so the distinction between childcare hours and paid extras deserves attention.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, play connects language, physical skills and relationships with books, numbers, creative work and understanding the world. A child's key person observes their interests and learning needs, then uses those observations to shape activities. That gives planning a starting point in the individual child rather than simply a calendar of tasks.

Performing arts includes poetry, drama, singing and dance. Role-play might involve pretending to work on a farm or taking the part of a dentist, with costumes and hats helping children develop their ideas. Creative activities include potato printing and papier-machet, while physical play brings together climbing, cycling, balancing and ball games. These are concrete opportunities to explore materials, movement and language through play.

Diddi dance runs every other Tuesday, with music, instruments and movement, songs using Makaton signing and a theme for each term. Super star sport takes place every other Monday, with activities addressing coordination, balance and ball skills. The alternating schedule gives these visiting sessions a recurring place in the nursery day rather than making them occasional treats.

In March 2024, younger children joined songs with actions, while older children used story illustrations to anticipate what might happen next. Dinosaur conversations gave children another reason to use detailed vocabulary and explain their ideas. However, some group activities involved enough children for attention to drift. Enthusiasm for talking was evident; keeping everyone engaged was the practical issue.

Outdoor and Community Life

The nursery garden and park outings provide opportunities to notice nature and talk about the environment. Regular visits to the local library add reading beyond the nursery, with children hearing stories individually and in groups. Neither activity needs elaborate equipment to matter: both give children something concrete to observe, discuss and revisit in their play.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is shaped around the family. Parents and guardians are encouraged to stay for as long as they need while helping their child adjust, and to discuss worries openly from the beginning. This makes the settling period a shared process, rather than treating separation as something to rush.

The key-person arrangement also connects care with learning. Regular observations identify interests and help staff plan what comes next. In March 2024, staff gave parents updates about children's learning and their next steps, and used their knowledge of families to help children settle. Warm interactions continued through intimate care and rest periods, where familiar relationships matter as much as organised activities.

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted asked the nursery to improve the organisation of group learning and broaden self-review so teaching could develop further. Both points concern how adults shape the day: one addresses children's attention directly, while the other addresses how staff examine and refine their practice.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In March 2024, children practised everyday independence by serving food, getting water and learning to manage shoes, coats and handwashing. Rest was also part of that account, with children recognising when they needed a break. These small routines gave them repeated opportunities to take responsibility for themselves.

An on-site cook prepares food daily, with three meals, morning and afternoon snacks, vegetarian alternatives and provision for dietary or religious requirements. For young babies, parents supply prepared formula bottles and guide weaning; they also bring nappies, wipes, cotton wool and nappy creams when needed. The daily baby report identifies supplies that need replenishing, making this an ongoing part of communication with home.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 101 Higham Station Avenue, Chingford, London E4 9AY. Contact is possible through the nursery's enquiry form, telephone or email, and visits can be booked.

Full-day attendance runs from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year; a separately charged early session runs from 7.30am to 8am. The funding structure uses 50 open weeks. Closures include public holidays, the Christmas-to-New-Year period, two weeks in August and a day for the annual nursery trip.

The waiting list gives siblings priority, then takes account of when a child joined the list and the required start date. A non-refundable registration charge applies when an offered place is accepted, except for children attending funded hours only. Leaving requires one month's written notice, with a month's fees payable instead if notice is not given.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers funded childcare, including the 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements, stretched across its year-round provision. For children receiving the 30-hour entitlement, stretched to 22.8 hours weekly, the funded-only pattern provides 20 hours across two full days: one must be Monday or Friday, and the other depends on availability. Additional private childcare hours can be requested, but are not required for that arrangement.

Private fees include meals, snacks and activities. During funded hours, a separate consumable charge covers food and snacks, specified care supplies such as suncream and nappy sacks, and activities; parents can opt out with a month's notice, with alternative arrangements agreed for the items covered. Baby formula, nappies, wipes, cotton wool and nappy creams remain parent-supplied as described above.

Fees are paid monthly in advance and remain payable across 52 weeks, including the August closure. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and opening information provides the payment and closure structure.

• Group attention. In March 2024, larger group activities sometimes distracted children. During a visit, ask how these activities are now organised for different ages.
• Funded-day restrictions. The two-day funded-only pattern for children receiving the 30-hour entitlement requires a Monday or Friday, with the other day subject to availability. Consider how that fits the working week before choosing an attendance pattern.
• Food and supplies. Private fees include food, while funded hours carry an opt-out consumable charge and babies need supplies from home. Families managing allergies should discuss current meal arrangements during a visit.
• Closure and payment planning. Fees continue across 52 weeks despite scheduled closures, including two weeks in August. This affects both the household budget and cover for days away from nursery.

Tiny Tots suits families seeking year-round full-day attendance, including those using the two-day funded-only pattern or adding an early-start session. Its strongest practical ingredients are concrete: recurring dance and sport sessions, library visits, individual observation and a settling process that makes space for parents. The March 2024 group-attention and self-review points remain useful questions for a visit, while the funded-day rules and charge structure need to fit the family's routine.