Tiny Feet Day Nursery

A baby unit, a toddler room linked to messy play and a preschool bungalow give Tiny Feet Day Nursery a recognisable shape. This Urmston setting pairs age-specific spaces with practical independence, from exploring materials to dressing, using utensils and expressing feelings.

At its 16 July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that observations and language screening supported progress, including for children with SEND. The strongest practical examples were close relationships with staff, purposeful physical activities and opportunities to investigate through play; the improvement point concerned inconsistent hygiene routines. Tiny Feet has capacity for 70 children, with a current age range of three months to five years.

Rooms and Ages

Ladybirds is the baby unit, with natural light, sensory resources, space for movement and separate areas for quiet play and sleep, giving babies room to explore and somewhere to rest.

Buzzy Bee Room serves children aged 16 months to two years, linking to a messy-play space where sand, playdough and mark-making materials support exploration and independent choices. Outdoor play takes place at least twice daily. A buggy bus seating six gives younger children a way to join outings to parks and the surrounding community, rather than relying on their ability to walk the whole outing.

Caterpillar Room, for approximately two- to three-year-olds, combines storytelling and a monthly book with number games, self-service at meals, dressing practice and toilet learning at each child's pace, linking language development with everyday independence.

Butterfly Room takes children from three years to Reception age, with bungalow accommodation and a more structured day covering conversation, early writing, listening, turn-taking and self-care; name recognition, scissors, cutlery, shoes and following instructions connect learning with practical preparation for school.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the shared early-years framework: children learn through play, exploration and activity, with communication, physical development and emotional development informing the day alongside early literacy, mathematics and creative experiences. It is the foundation for provision here. Activities are adapted to children's interests and needs, and observation helps staff plan what comes next.

Cooking and everyday tasks give numbers a practical purpose. Preschool introduces Phase 1 phonics through speaking and listening, with attention, conversational turn-taking and clear speech preparing children for reading and writing.

Two named practices give the preschool day further shape. The Golden Rules are behaviour agreements discussed during morning circle time, covering considerate language, helping others and sharing. The Colour Monsters uses a door display where children place their photograph against a feeling they choose. One establishes expectations for living alongside other children; the other gives children a concrete way to communicate their emotional state.

In July 2025, babies experimented with edible paint, while older children investigated melting ice containing sea creatures. Staff used questions during play to encourage further thinking. Physical preparation for writing was equally practical: younger children worked with tools in sand, and older children squeezed lemons. These examples show the connection between handling materials, building hand strength and making discoveries, rather than treating early learning as a series of worksheets.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor learning reaches beyond time in the garden. Buzzy Bee children explore outside regularly, while preschool play can move between indoor and outdoor spaces. Gardening gives older children opportunities to plant flowers and grow vegetables, and weekly baking provides another practical activity with a tangible result. Families are asked to supply suitable wet-weather clothing so children can continue taking part outside.

In July 2025, garden balance-beam play and climbing equipment on regular park outings gave children different physical challenges, with staff supporting supervised risk-taking.

Relationships and Communication

The manager arranges settling in the week before a child starts. A key person follows their care and development and serves as the family's main contact, giving parents someone to exchange information with as their child learns nursery routines.

Famly carries photographs, activity updates, meals, observations and assessments, and parents can contribute information about interests and learning at home. Communication also includes individual meetings and open evenings. The combination matters for parents who want more than a daily snapshot: the app supports ongoing exchanges, while meetings allow a fuller discussion of development or concerns.

In July 2025, children approached staff for comfort, and conversations with parents informed staff's understanding of individual needs. Parents also received practical ideas for supporting learning at home. These were specific examples of the relationship between nursery care and family life, with information moving in both directions.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In July 2025, staff used observations and language screening to identify children who needed additional support. The current key-person arrangements also include a written progress check after a child turns two, covering language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. This gives families a structured opportunity to discuss strengths and where further help may be useful.

Hygiene was the July 2025 weakness. Children washed their hands before lunch, but staff did not consistently reinforce hygienic practice, including occasionally putting food straight onto tables. The requested improvement was to make hygiene routines consistent across staff so children received clearer messages about healthy habits.

Ladybirds includes a designated sleep area and a private changing area. Staff hold first-aid certificates and undertake safeguarding training; these are arrangements for care, alongside the dated inspection judgement. Dietary needs are discussed with families, and the application form asks about allergies and medical requirements, giving parents a formal opportunity to explain their child's needs before attendance begins.

Sessions and Attendance

Tiny Feet operates at 26 Wycliffe Road, Urmston, Manchester, M41 5AH. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year. Closures cover bank holidays and one week at Christmas. That calendar is useful for families planning care across the year, but the Christmas closure still needs to fit their wider arrangements.

The application form asks families to select their required weekdays and a start date. A registration form and a non-refundable registration charge form part of reserving a place. Families can contact the nursery by telephone or email, and there is an online application route.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with a consumable charge added to funded places. Parents supply nappies for children who need them, including the option to leave a bulk supply at nursery. These are separate practical responsibilities: receiving funded hours does not remove the consumable charge, and nappies still come from home.

Request a written quotation for current prices. Fees are paid monthly in advance, with equal monthly payments calculated across the charging year; full fees apply during Christmas and bank-holiday closures and when a child is absent through illness or holiday. Withdrawal requires one month's notice through Famly or email. Families should weigh the attendance calendar and payment calendar together, since a closure or absence does not remove the fee obligation.

• Hygiene routines. July 2025 brought a specific improvement point about inconsistent hygiene practice, including food placed directly on tables. Ask how staff now keep serving and handwashing routines consistent.
• The youngest children's room moves. Ladybirds transitions depend on children's readiness, while Buzzy Bee Room starts at 16 months. During a visit, discuss how the move would work for your child and how sleep arrangements change between rooms.
• Settling and visit timing. Settling is arranged for the week before starting, and visits usually fall between 9.30am and 10.30am or between 1.30pm and 2.30pm to protect children's routines. Plan the visit and settling arrangements around your working commitments.
• Charges across the year. Fees continue through specified closures and illness or holiday absences; funded places carry a consumable charge, and parents provide nappies. Request a written quotation alongside these terms before committing to an attendance pattern.

Tiny Feet suits families who value age-specific spaces, practical independence and regular communication about their child's day. Ladybirds' sleep provision, Buzzy Bee's linked messy play and Butterfly Room's emotion display give that preference concrete substance. The weekday opening window and 51-week calendar also suit families organising care across much of the year.

The July 2025 Good judgement provides the quality reference point, with a clear hygiene improvement to weigh alongside it. This is a nursery to assess through the details of daily care: how room moves are handled, how routines are maintained and how the key-person relationship develops.