Tinkerbell Private Nursery

Calm baby routines and growing independence gave Tinkerbell Private Nursery its character in April 2022. At its 20 April 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of today's daily practice.

On William Street in Littleborough, Rochdale, the nursery has 60 places in total and accepts ages from 3 to 60 months. For parents comparing care for a baby with provision for an older child, the April 2022 observations offer useful detail about both stages.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play and interaction support learning alongside physical and emotional needs. In April 2022, stories, songs and conversations introduced children to new vocabulary. Babies joined familiar songs with movements and experimented with instruments, giving them ways to participate before fluent speech.

Older children tackled puzzles and built with blocks in April 2022. They also helped themselves to food at lunch and talked about their preferences. These were concrete opportunities to practise concentration, choice and independence. Babies explored around furniture, combining movement with regular contact with familiar adults.

Changes to resources in the outdoor area and toddler room were also evident in April 2022. Children's interests helped shape these spaces and the play taking place in them.

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that planning took account of what children already understood and needed to learn next, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This connected individual learning needs with the activities staff planned.

In April 2022, familiar key people comforted babies and responded to their feeding and sleeping needs. Meals and snacks were healthy. An All About Me form brought together parents' and key people's knowledge of younger children's interests and next learning steps when changing rooms; older children had visited a Reception class for a stay-and-play session.

There were limits to the support arrangements in April 2022. Staff supervision and meetings happened too infrequently, delaying help with aspects of practice. Work with parents to extend children's learning also needed strengthening.

The address is William Street, Littleborough, Rochdale, OL15 8JP. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening and a Christmas closure.

In April 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That historical provision should be distinguished from a current funding agreement.

• Staff development. In April 2022, competing demands on the manager reduced the frequency of supervision and team meetings. Timely support for practitioners was an improvement priority.
• Learning with parents. In April 2022, collaboration to extend learning at home needed strengthening. During a visit, how would your child's next learning steps be shared and developed together?

Tinkerbell suits families seeking care across babyhood and the preschool years. Its April 2022 assessment combined a Good judgement with concrete examples of responsive baby care and children's independence. The balance includes two important development points: support for staff and closer collaboration with parents over learning.