Little Tinklers

An allotment, an artist in residence and boats travelling down pipes give Little Tinklers a recognisable character: practical exploration runs through its February 2024 account of nursery life. Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding at its 14 February 2024 inspection. It has capacity for 45 children at Ponteland Childrens Centre on Thornhill Road in Newcastle Upon Tyne (NE20 9QB).

This is a setting whose inspection-era detail rewards attention. Growing food, experimenting with water and discussing artwork gave children concrete things to investigate, rather than simply instructions to follow.

The early years foundation stage frames children's care, development and learning. In February 2024, this learning included expanding vocabulary, talking about familiar stories and exploring materials through practical play. In February 2024, staff used children's existing knowledge to plan the next steps in their learning. Familiar books supported conversation: older children discussed authors and remembered favourite passages, while babies pointed to pictures as adults told stories.

An outdoor classroom in the garden extended that learning through large loose parts and an allotment. Children planted potatoes and peas, discussed seasonal change and learnt about feeding birds in winter. These activities connected nature with things children could observe and do.

The artist in residence introduced contemporary art, including making mosaics from cut material. Water play had an investigative purpose too: children adjusted pipes and poured water to change how boats travelled. Babies explored ice with tongs and spoons, hearing vocabulary that described its changing texture and temperature.

At the February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including cooperation with portage and the local authority and effective use of additional funding. Those findings belong to that inspection date.

In February 2024, staff knew their key children closely and shared information with families to support learning at home. Team meetings and supervision supported practitioners' work, while deployment took account of their strengths. On a wooden obstacle course, children offered one another a hand to balance: cooperation had a practical expression in play.

The nursery occupies Ponteland Childrens Centre on Thornhill Road in Newcastle Upon Tyne (NE20 9QB). In February 2024, it operated throughout the year on weekdays, with session times of 7.30am to 6.30pm. These are historical operating details, rather than a current booking pattern.

At that time, children attending were aged one to four, and the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. The age range describes attendance at that visit; it does not establish today's accepted ages.

• Attendance arrangements. The February 2024 account covered weekday, year-round provision. When visiting, what ages, attendance patterns and funding arrangements apply to your child's proposed start?
• Practical exploration. The February 2024 activities included growing vegetables, handling ice and experimenting with water. Families who value hands-on learning have concrete examples against which to judge whether the experience fits their child.

Little Tinklers merits attention from families drawn to art, outdoor exploration and learning through practical experiments. Its February 2024 detail gives substance to the Outstanding judgement: the account describes children investigating, talking and helping one another. The strongest fit is for parents who value those experiences alongside close communication about their child's learning.