Partou Tippy Toes Day Nursery & Pre-school

A calm room, outdoor access from preschool and learning that reaches into the local community give Tippy Toes its character. This Yate nursery has 45 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. Its scale matters less than the practical detail: children have space for active play and somewhere quieter when they need a pause.

At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good across all areas and judged safeguarding effective. The useful balance beneath that judgement is positive everyday care alongside specific work needed on toddler learning and involving parents in learning at home.

Morning sessions, afternoons and full days provide different ways to organise attendance. These sit within weekday opening hours, with an early drop-off option for families needing an earlier start.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and interaction support learning alongside children's practical and emotional needs. Tippy Toes plans activities around individual interests. Partou's group-wide child-led approach also emphasises children's choices and curiosity; the local examples give that idea substance.

In June 2024, children used a pretend fire station to revisit an outing, discussing equipment and how to seek help in an emergency. That connects imaginative play with something children have actually experienced. For the youngest children, familiar rhymes, songs and repeated sounds supported communication. These are different starting points for learning, rather than the same activity delivered to every age.

Toddler learning was the weaker part of that picture. In June 2024, curriculum delivery in the toddler room needed further development, especially to support attention and listening. This is a useful question for families with a child approaching that stage: engaging resources need to be matched by purposeful interaction.

Outdoor and Community Life

Preschool children can move freely between their indoor area and outdoor spaces. Spacious playrooms contain resources for children to explore, while the calm room offers a different kind of space. The combination allows for both activity and a quieter break within the nursery day.

In June 2024, outdoor play included climbing and balancing equipment, with staff adding challenges, while younger children experimented with paint sprayed from bottles. Other children mixed pretend drinks in the garden and discussed their ingredients. Movement, mark-making and conversation were part of play, rather than separate lessons.

Community experiences also extended beyond the garden. In June 2024, outings included the fruit market, shops and park, with older children visiting a care home. Current activities include trips to nearby shops and visits from community members. For families who value learning connected to everyday surroundings, this gives the nursery a clear point of interest.

Relationships and Communication

Regular conversations with parents and online progress updates connect home with nursery. They give families ways to follow their child's experiences as well as discuss development. In June 2024, parents also received photographs and information about eating and sleep, with staff sharing details of the day at collection.

Settling was supported by attentive staff in June 2024, helping children become comfortable quickly. Clear routines and expectations helped children anticipate what would happen next. Familiarity matters here: the nursery's long-standing team provides continuity as children move between rooms.

Communication about daily care and partnership around learning are different things. In June 2024, parents needed greater involvement in helping children learn at home. A useful next step for families is to explore how progress updates lead to practical ideas they can use themselves.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator worked with families and practitioners on individual support plans, with a calming space for children with SEND who became overwhelmed. This gives parents a concrete mechanism to discuss, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

The dedicated calm room remains part of the nursery's offer, providing a quiet place for children to manage their feelings. In June 2024, older children used sharing timers to organise turns and talked with staff about emotions. These small routines make sharing and expressing frustration things children can practise.

Food is prepared on site, using a seasonal menu. Meals, snacks and drinks have their own charge, separate from care, including during funded sessions.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 84 Firgrove Crescent, Yate, Bristol, BS37 7AG. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. A full day runs from 8am to 6pm; morning attendance is 8am to 1pm, and an afternoon is 1pm to 6pm. Early drop-off covers 7.30am to 8am.

Attendance runs across the year, with closures on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Christmas Eve has an earlier finish at 4pm. Billing covers 51 weeks, and bank holidays are chargeable, so closure days and paid attendance need to be understood together.

Enquiries can be made through the nursery's enquiry route or by telephone on 01454 850122. Yate Bus Station is a short walk away, and local bus routes serve the area.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered to eligible families through South Gloucestershire Local Authority and typically covers 15 or 30 hours a week over 38 term weeks, with a maximum of 10 funded hours a day. For year-round attendance, funding is stretched over 51 weeks. The weekly funded allocation is then 11.17 or 22.35 hours respectively, so it should be compared with the hours actually booked.

Funding pays for care. Meals and snacks are charged separately, as are consumables such as sun cream, wipes and nappies; these charges also apply to funded sessions. Private care, food and consumables are separate parts of the bill. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

On joining, families pay either a non-refundable registration charge or a deposit to reserve the place, with eligibility governed by the terms and conditions. The distinction matters when comparing the initial payment with ongoing childcare costs.

• Toddler listening and attention. Curriculum delivery in the toddler room was an improvement point in June 2024. During a visit, ask how activities now develop these skills and how practitioners adapt them for your child.
• Learning at home. Greater parental involvement in learning was the other June 2024 improvement point. Ask for an example of how an online update becomes a useful activity or conversation at home.
• Funded attendance and extras. Year-round funding is stretched, while food and consumables remain separately charged. Compare a written quotation for your chosen morning, afternoon or full-day pattern, including the applicable registration payment and chargeable bank holidays.

Tippy Toes suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day attendance, with community experiences and both active and quiet spaces. Preschool outdoor access and the calm room are practical strengths. The June 2024 judgement provides a positive basis for considering it, balanced by two clear questions about toddler learning and the connection between nursery learning and home.