Tick Tock All Stars Day Nursery, Denton Green

Three outdoor play areas, weekly gymnastics and cooking give Tick Tock All Stars Day Nursery, Denton Green a practical, active character. Children can explore through movement, food and hands-on activities, rather than spending their day on one kind of play. This is the nursery at 7-8 Denton Green in Nottingham, distinct from the separate Denton Green preschool.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, while identifying inconsistent support for language and uneven delivery of planned learning. Those concerns matter alongside the appealing activities: what staff do during an activity is as important as the activity itself.

The nursery has capacity for 31 children aged 2 to 60 months. Its outdoor spaces and onsite cooking are substantial practical features for families weighing the daily experience.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, connecting their play with skills such as communication and physical development. Alongside that framework, the nursery uses a personalised curriculum with cooking, gymnastics and practical exploration. The useful detail is the activity itself, rather than the curriculum label.

Weekly gymnastics gives movement a regular place in the timetable. Baking and cooking sit alongside experiments, number activities, books and early writing, while water and sand offer other ways to investigate and play. This combination suits children who enjoy doing things with their hands as well as listening and talking.

In July 2023, sessions with the local gymnastics club involved following an instructor's directions as well as practising physical skills. Children knew the session routine and waited on a mat for instruction. The value extended beyond exercise: a shared activity gave them opportunities to listen and manage expectations.

Language support was less consistent in July 2023. Some practitioners described children's actions and encouraged conversation, but this approach varied across the team. A fire-safety activity also lacked the explanation children needed to understand its purpose. An interesting timetable therefore needs equally clear teaching.

Outdoor and Community Life

Three outdoor play areas give physical activity a substantial setting. Gardening and nature walks add opportunities to explore living things, with outdoor experiences complementing the cooking and science activities.

In July 2023, children grew vegetables outdoors and the harvest became part of their meals. That linked food on the plate with the process of growing it. Visits to the local Gurdwara temple introduced children to Sikhism, extending cultural learning beyond the nursery. These were concrete experiences of food and community, rather than abstract topics alone.

Relationships and Communication

In July 2023, settling arrangements were tailored to each child. Staff gathered parents' knowledge of their child's existing abilities and used it to shape activities. Relationships with a key person gave children a familiar adult, while practitioners took time to comfort those who became upset. For a family starting nursery, that combination makes the child's home experience relevant to the first days of care.

Children's photographs and work were displayed in July 2023. Children used the pictures as prompts for conversation, seeking an adult to help name what they recognised. The display had a practical purpose beyond decoration: familiar images offered a starting point for talking.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) good, with the special educational needs coordinator working with families and professionals on developmental targets. Strategies were shared between home and nursery, giving adults a common way to support the child.

In July 2023, an oral health initiative encouraged children to brush their teeth daily, bringing personal hygiene into the routine. Road-safety conversations during walks also helped children connect safety messages with an actual situation.

Meals are cooked onsite by a nursery chef. This brings food preparation into the setting and complements the cooking activities children undertake themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. That Christmas closure is a concrete planning point for parents whose work continues through the holiday period.

Getting There

The address is 7-8 Denton Green, Nottingham, NG8 6GD. For enquiries, the contact form includes a Denton Green nursery option; telephone callers use Option 1. Choosing that nursery option distinguishes this setting from the separate preschool and the Bells Lane nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

In July 2023, the nursery provided funded education for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated participation fact, rather than a promise about a family's entitlement or attendance arrangement.

• Language throughout the day. In July 2023, conversational support varied between practitioners. Consistency matters across play, meals and group activities, rather than only during a planned language activity.
• Purpose behind the timetable. The July 2023 fire-safety activity did not fully achieve its intended learning because staff gave insufficient explanation. Weekly gymnastics and cooking are appealing, but children also need adults to make the learning understandable.
• Your child's weekly routine. With weekly gymnastics, onsite meals and a Christmas closure to factor in, what attendance pattern and written quotation would cover your child's hours, funded entitlement, meals and consumables?

Denton Green suits families looking for an active nursery day: regular gymnastics, practical cooking and three outdoor play areas give children several ways to explore. Onsite meal preparation adds another useful part of the daily offer.

The July 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with clear reservations about language support and the execution of some activities. The strongest reason to consider this nursery is the substance of its day. The central consideration is how consistently practitioners turn those experiences into learning for each child.