Tiny Tigers Pre School

A large classroom, direct access to outdoor facilities and a forest school give Tiny Tigers Pre School a clear physical identity within Our Lady of Hartley Primary School. It has 25 places in total. The school setting also gives families a practical reason to look closely at how preschool preparation works here.

At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Tiny Tigers Outstanding, found safeguarding effective and judged that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), made outstanding progress. Those findings belong to that visit. The current offer includes a key person for each child and a choice of morning sessions or a full day, across a 38-week year.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the required framework: here, its learning content can be understood through activities involving language, physical movement and practical investigation. In February 2022, children explored bubbles landing on frost and sand, and worked out how to assemble paint rollers from sticks and foam tubes. These examples show the substance of the learning: children investigated changes and solved problems with materials.

Language had similarly concrete applications in February 2022. Children discussed what happened to a bath bomb in water, extending their vocabulary through an experience they could observe. Makaton, the sign language used by children at the setting, was learned through new signs each week. Younger children used individual signs, while older children could combine them into simple sentences. That gave communication a visible, practical form alongside spoken words.

Physical learning also had a deliberate structure in February 2022. Sensory circuits were daily activities intended to develop balance and muscle strength; children also practised choreographed dances and took part in yoga. These were specific ways to explore movement, with both coordination and strength receiving attention.

Outdoor and Community Life

The classroom has free-flow access to outdoor facilities, allowing play to extend beyond its indoor space. A forest school is part of the setting's outdoor provision. The physical arrangement matters for families who value outdoor experiences as part of preschool life.

In February 2022, woodland activities included learning to recognise stinging nettles, while tyre swings and climbing walls offered physical challenges. Children also used a rope to descend a muddy hill with safety guidance from staff. The useful detail is the combination of movement and learning about hazards: outdoor activity included decisions about how to use the space safely.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for their care and development. This gives families an identified practitioner with an ongoing role in their child's experience, rather than leaving that responsibility diffuse across the team.

In February 2022, staff knew children's interests and preferred ways of playing, and included their activity wishes in daily planning. Parents contributed ideas to individual learning plans, and staff acted on those suggestions. Families were also invited to learn the Makaton signs children used, creating a practical connection between communication at preschool and at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Current staff roles include a SENCO, a safeguarding lead and a deputy safeguarding lead. Team biographies also include paediatric first aid certificates. These are identifiable arrangements and responsibilities, rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement.

In February 2022, visual picture cards helped children understand behavioural expectations, including children with SEND. Other children used the cards to remind their friends of the rules. Additional funding supported home learning packs and shared communication games, giving families resources to use together away from preschool.

Staff development also connected to practice in February 2022. Training covered support for children with SEND and the use of sensory circuits. Practitioners exchanged observations with other settings and with teachers at the school, including observing the Reception teacher. For parents, these details explain how staff gathered ideas and feedback about their work.

Sessions and Attendance

Tiny Tigers is based at Our Lady of Hartley Primary School, Stack Lane, Hartley, DA3 8BL. Attendance runs Monday to Friday over 38 weeks, with an optional summer club.

Three session windows give families a useful choice: 9am to noon without lunch, 9am to 1pm including lunch, and a full day from 9am to 3pm. The two morning options make lunch the practical dividing point; the full day extends attendance into the afternoon.

Friday full-day sessions have a specific school-preparation purpose for preschool children due to start school the following September. Activities include practising dressing and undressing for PE, taking part in a register, and small-group activities indoors and outside. That condition matters: the Friday description is aimed at the children approaching their school start.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a place at Our Lady of Hartley Primary School.

In February 2022, the children attending were aged two to four, and the setting received funding for free early education for three- and four-year-olds. Families can make contact by telephone, email or the contact form.

• Lunch changes the session. The noon finish excludes lunch, while the 1pm finish includes it. Choose the pattern around whether you want lunch within your child's preschool day.
• School preparation has a defined audience. Friday full days are described for children starting school the following September. On a visit, ask how the activities are adapted to your child's stage of development.
• Support has named responsibilities. A key person and SENCO provide clear starting points for discussion. Ask how they would coordinate a settling plan and any individual support your child needs.
• The inspection is dated. The Outstanding judgement comes from February 2022. Use a visit to explore how the communication activities and outdoor challenges work now.

Tiny Tigers suits families seeking either a morning ending before lunch, a morning including lunch or a full preschool day. Its classroom, outdoor access and school-preparation sessions give that choice substance. The February 2022 judgement is a strong historical assessment; the current key-person arrangement adds a clear point of responsibility for each child. Families approaching a school start have a concrete Friday programme to consider, alongside the separate decision about a school place.