Tiddlywinks Nursery Ltd

Tiddlywinks Nursery Ltd

Unique reference number (URN): EY256469 Address: 1 Yeomanry Road, Battlefield Enterprise Park, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 3EH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 03/01/2003 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Tiddlywinks Shrewsbury Limited

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm. There are significant weaknesses in the recruitment and vetting of staff. Leaders lack oversight of the Disclosure and Barring Service checks and do not understand how they must be used as a tool to check the suitability of people who work with children. Leaders do not always take up references or interview staff before they are appointed. This means that leaders would not be aware of any potential risks that adults working in the setting may pose to children. This puts children's safety at risk.

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Safeguarding standards not met

There is consistently poor supervision of staff in the nursery. Leaders do not oversee the induction of new staff, which means that they cannot determine the suitability of staff or ensure that children are being appropriately cared for. Leaders demonstrate a poor knowledge of how to manage allegations that may be made against a member of staff and fail to follow whistleblowing procedures.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children enjoy their time at nursery and make suitable progress from their starting points. However, some children do not achieve as well as they could. This is because staff do not adapt the support they provide for children well enough. For instance, while children wait for their turn in a ballet class, staff attempt to engage children in singing. However, staff do not recognise that loud distractions from musical instruments interrupt children's learning. Some children, especially those with barriers to their learning, do not develop the skills of attention and focus that they need to acquire. They become disengaged from some activities.

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Achievement Needs attention

While older children attend to their own toileting needs, they do not develop an understanding of good hygiene practices. This is because staff do not support children to learn how to wash their hands before leaving the bathroom.

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Achievement Needs attention

Babies develop their coordination and early self-help skills through play activities. They learn to use spoons to practise scooping actions. Babies copy language that they hear, such as 'spoon' and 'yum'. These skills support babies to feed themselves and prepare them for the next stage in their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders provide guidance on behaviour and routines for children, though inconsistencies in how staff carry this out can sometimes have a negative impact. For instance, while staff guide children to put their coats on ready to go outside with their peers, they do not always go outdoors. This is because leaders do not organise staffing arrangements to ensure that children can be sufficiently supervised. This means that some children experience unnecessary waiting and do not benefit from the same opportunities as others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

At lunchtime, staff teach children the routine of washing their hands before eating. Staff promote the use of good manners and children often say please and thank you. However, weaknesses in how staff establish routines mean that children wait for extended periods for their lunch to be served. At these times, children often become unsettled and staff have to remind them of behavioural expectations at mealtimes. This impacts on children's learning and experiences in nursery.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Children learn to play cooperatively with others. Staff invite other children to join in with activities and encourage children to take turns to use equipment. Children are happy as they play alongside their peers. For instance, young children peek out of the tunnel and make vocalisations. Children giggle as they wait in anticipation for their friends to peep out at them again. This supports young children in developing relationships with others.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have clear aims for the curriculum, but inconsistencies in how this is delivered impacts, at times, the quality of learning that children receive. For instance, children with recognised barriers to their learning do not always receive support that is tailored to their unique needs and stages of development. Poor-quality interactions from some staff mean that children lose focus and learning is limited. Leaders have not made certain that all staff teach the curriculum well. For example, when children build towers with building blocks, staff do not extend children's language or thinking skills effectively. This has a negative impact on children's play and learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff teach some mathematics to children generally well. They demonstrate to children that counting is everywhere, such as to count how many cups, knives and forks are needed at mealtimes. Staff count out loud so that children learn that each item has a number name. When children count the right number, staff offer praise. This promotes children's development of mathematical language and builds on their engagement.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Activities in the baby room are purposefully planned to build on children's next steps, such as soft-play opportunities to pull themselves up and scooping activities to support children learning to feed themselves. Children in the baby room benefit from opportunities to engage in physical play. Staff support their independence, giving them time to pull themselves up on furniture. Staff highly praise children and extend their physical development by promoting a few steps, holding children's hands as support. This strengthens children's progress in this area.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Inconsistencies in practice mean that children with identified barriers to their learning do not always receive learning opportunities that have a positive impact on their achievement and wellbeing. There are weaknesses in staff communication and interactions with children. Children spend time outside, exploring activities in the nursery garden. They often spend extended periods of time with little interaction from staff. When other children disrupt their play, staff do not recognise this or step in to support children's feelings. This has a negative impact on children's learning and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders implement some systems to support children who may face barriers to their learning. Outside agencies attend the nursery to offer ball skills, baby ballet and cookery sessions with children. This promotes children's involvement in new experiences and their development of new skills. Families receive recipes for the food that children make in nursery, so that they can recreate their favourite meals and snacks at home. That said, leaders do not recognise the value of working with families to plan the use of additional funding for children. This means that families do not have any input into what would benefit their children's unique needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Weak leadership and governance impacts on children's safety, welfare and wellbeing. Leaders' policies, procedures and practice do not promote children's health and welfare. As a result, children do not learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For instance, a lack of supervision of older children while they use the bathroom, means that children often do not wash their hands. This demonstrates poor hygiene practices and puts children at risk of spreading illness or infection. Furthermore, failure to adequately supervise children at all times, means that children are exposed to unnecessary risks in the nursery.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children who face barriers to their learning do not always receive care and interaction that promote their wellbeing and positive relationships. For instance, staff observe children's play as they build with bricks, but they do not offer interactions consistently to support their learning and development. This means that children lose focus and are not offered communication to enhance their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Staff support younger children to wash their hands before mealtimes. They say, 'scrub scrub' and model effective handwashing as they talk about washing away the germs. However, this is not consistent throughout the nursery.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children receive healthy, well-balanced meals in nursery and learn to make healthy choices about food. Children learn to use an open cup in the baby room, when they are developmentally ready. In addition, all children take part in brushing their teeth at nursery and these steps promote good oral health.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have failed to appoint a suitable nominated individual to ensure high-quality care and oversee governance within the setting. This means that there is nobody in place to be accountable and to oversee compliance with the early years foundation stage statutory requirements to keep children safe. Leaders do not identify concerns or take action to improve the quality of education and care. This means that leaders do not act in children's best interests.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

There are significant failures in recruitment procedures. For instance, staff suitability is not always verified through an interview process and the request for appropriate references. Leaders do not verify staff qualifications to ensure that the appropriate staff to child ratios are met at all times. Additionally, leaders' systems for monitoring of Disclosure and Barring Service checks are not robust. This indicates that there is a closed culture of safeguarding that results in children's safety and welfare being put at risk.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders' supervision and monitoring of staff is ineffective. This means that staff are not offered guidance and training to help them to improve their practice and enhance outcomes for children. For instance, leaders and staff do not recognise weaknesses in the supervision of children while they use the bathroom. Additionally, leaders do not ensure that risk assessments are implemented effectively. Children's medication is stored within reach of children. This puts children's safety and welfare at risk.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Parents value the regular communication from staff about their child's experiences in nursery. They know their child's key person and appreciate the 2-way discussion they have with them about their child.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders do not have effective oversight of the setting to ensure that children's safety and wellbeing are prioritised. Weaknesses in risk assessment mean that children are not adequately supervised at all times and they are exposed to items that could harm them. Additionally, failures in the recruitment and vetting of staff mean that children's safety and welfare are at risk. There is a closed culture of safeguarding in the nursery. This does not protect children and promote their interests.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children's individual needs and interests are not always met. Staff do not always ensure that children with identified barriers to their learning are supported to make adequate progress. For instance, children attempt to explore resources with limited interaction or support from staff. Additionally, weaknesses in nursery routines mean that children often do not consistently benefit from learning opportunities. At times, they wait for extended periods for meals to be served to them. Staff do not always recognise the impact of the environment on children's learning. Children find it difficult to listen and take part in circle time songs, when there are noisy activities taking place in the same room. This impacts on children's wellbeing.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

However, in broader parts of the curriculum that leaders arrange for other agencies to deliver, children enjoy taking part in ballet, ball skills and cooking activities. In these sessions, children develop their listening skills as they follow instructions. They explore different ways of moving their bodies and discover a variety of music styles. Children learn to negotiate space and develop their coordination when using a ball with their feet. Additionally, older children explore a variety of recipes that they take home to recreate with their families.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that there is a suitable nominated individual in place who is responsible for all matters relating to the nursery 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

take appropriate steps to verify all staff qualifications, including in cases where physical evidence cannot be produced, taking into consideration the qualification criteria as set by the department for education 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that those with designated safeguarding lead responsibilities attend training in line with the criteria of Annex C 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

demonstrate clear knowledge and understanding of safer recruitment procedures, including obtaining references before staff are appointed 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

provide support, coaching, and training for staff to promote the safety and welfare of children 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that there are appropriate whistleblowing procedures in place for all staff to raise concerns about poor or unsafe practice within the setting 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

take all reasonable steps to ensure children in your care are not exposed to unnecessary risks 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that children are adequately supervised, within sight and hearing of staff at all times 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that all children receive care that meets their individual needs 05/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure leaders have sufficient skills and oversight of the setting to identify and address weaknesses to keep children safe 05/05/2026

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Address:

1 Yeomanry Road Battlefield Enterprise Park Shrewsbury Shropshire SY1 3EH

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Tiddlywinks Shrewsbury Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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