Tiny Toez, Lords and Ladies

Two gardens give Tiny Toez, Lords and Ladies a clear identity: a softer outdoor area for babies, and a larger space where children can grow vegetables, build and experiment in a mud kitchen. Child-led exploration shapes the offer at this Stourport nursery. There is room for messy discovery.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 12 April 2023, with improvements needed in how adult-led activities develop each child's next steps and how books support literacy. Those are useful distinctions for parents: enjoyable activities and purposeful teaching need to work together.

The nursery caters for children from three months to five years and has 67 places in total. Full-day and half-day bookings serve different family routines, while separate Baby Room, Toddler Room and Preschool Room arrangements give each stage its own emphasis.

Rooms and Ages

Low furniture and resources within reach shape the Baby Room, labelled for birth to two years, so early exploration does not depend entirely on an adult handing over an activity. In the Toddler Room, for two- to three-year-olds, resources change regularly and sensory exploration includes water and sand. The Preschool Room, for three- to five-year-olds, emphasises preparation for school through work with parents.

These room bands describe the stages within the nursery rather than the size of a child's daily group. The whole-setting place count is a separate measure. For the youngest children, the more useful physical detail is the baby garden: artificial grass provides a soft surface alongside opportunities for movement and sensory play.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care; in daily life, that means learning through activities and play alongside support for communication, movement and relationships. Alongside that shared foundation, the Curiosity Approach emphasises children's own interests and exploration here. Children help shape what they investigate rather than simply moving through adult-selected tasks.

Individual planning begins with an All About Me profile, which establishes a child's starting point when they join. Plans are then adjusted after a few weeks to reflect development. This gives parents a concrete way to contribute knowledge of their child and connects the initial picture with subsequent activity planning.

In April 2023, practical investigations included freeing dinosaurs from ice with real hammers, exploring soapy water and testing whether objects sank or floated. These examples show how ordinary materials can become opportunities to experiment. Preschool children also shared imaginative meals in a play kitchen, using plates made from slices of tree trunk.

The same April 2023 account identified a teaching limitation: planned activities did not consistently build on the next learning steps staff had identified. The selection of books was small, and their quality and connection to other learning needed attention. That matters for families seeking both independent play and deliberate support for language and literacy.

Outdoor and Community Life

The larger garden combines a planting zone with construction resources and the mud kitchen. Growing vegetables gives children something living to observe, while building and messy play offer different ways to explore materials. The outdoor provision has substance beyond space to run.

Local excursions to parks and farms are an intention when staffing ratios permit them, rather than a fixed timetable of trips. The everyday gardens are therefore the firmer part of the outdoor offer. Families who value learning outside have concrete features to weigh against the more conditional outings.

Relationships and Communication

Famly provides daily updates, supplemented by monthly newsletters and conversations with parents. The combination gives families both a regular account of the day and opportunities to discuss development directly. All About Me adds a personal starting point to that communication, so information moves into the nursery as well as out of it.

In April 2023, staff gathered information from families before children began attending and used it to plan familiar care routines. Babies and toddlers had planned sleep arrangements, and handwashing routines formed part of everyday care. Those observations describe practice at that time, rather than a promise about an individual child's current routine.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described accurate identification of developmental gaps, with support that included specialist help with speech and language, alongside sessions supporting physical development. This is a useful account of how additional needs were addressed, rather than a blanket assurance that every child's needs will be met in the same way.

In April 2023, the Golden Rules gave children clear behavioural expectations, reinforced through circle time and reminders when help was needed. The nursery then employed 10 childcare staff, each holding early years qualifications. These are dated observations of the team and its practice.

Fresh vegetables and fruit are served as snacks, with water and milk to drink. This puts familiar healthy choices into the nursery day.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Roscrea, Lower Lickhill Road, Stourport, Worcestershire, DY13 8RJ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year, with Bank Holidays excluded. The annual pattern matters alongside the daily hours for families arranging care through school holiday periods.

Bookings include full days and half days, with full-week rates also offered. Holiday care extends to children up to five years old. These are different attendance options; the opening window describes when the nursery operates rather than the length of every booking.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01299 879181 or by email at lordsandladies@tinytoez.com. Show-arounds can be booked as part of an initial enquiry.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15- and 30-hour options for children aged two and above, subject to the relevant criteria. Funded hours can be taken during term time or spread across the year. That distinction can help families align their childcare with either school terms or a more continuous working pattern.

Private full-day and half-day care is also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; families should assess the attendance pattern and funding arrangement together.

• Teaching and books. In April 2023, adult-led learning and the book selection needed improvement. During a show-around, ask how activities now build on individual next steps and how books connect with children's interests.
• Baby routines. The Baby Room has low furniture and its own outdoor provision. Ask how settling, sleep and daily care would be organised for your child within that arrangement.
• The working-year pattern. Opening spans 51 weeks, excluding Bank Holidays, and funding can be used during terms or across the year. Establish which booking pattern fits your family and request one written breakdown covering meals and consumables alongside care.

Tiny Toez, Lords and Ladies suits families considering either full-day care or shorter half-day attendance, with term-time and year-round use of funded hours also part of the offer. Its strongest practical attractions are the separate outdoor provision for babies, purposeful garden resources for older children and daily communication through Famly.

The April 2023 Good judgement gives a positive inspection position, with clear reservations about planned teaching and literacy resources. For parents drawn to child-led exploration, the deciding detail is how that freedom now works alongside carefully chosen next steps.