Tynemouth Nursery at Billy Mill

Tynemouth Nursery at Billy Mill
Unique reference number (URN): 310213
Address: 142-144 Queen Alexandra Road West, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 9AF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 23/01/2001
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Tynemouth Nursery Group Limited
Inspection report: 19 May 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Strong standard
Expected standard
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders are highly proactive in identifying and assessing the individual needs of children
and families who attend the nursery, including those who have special educational needs
and/or disabilities (SEND) or are known, or previously known, to social care.
Leaders are relentless in ensuring that children and families with vulnerabilities are provided
with the maximum support available. This ensures that children are safeguarded and any
barriers to their learning and progress are effectively reduced. This includes active liaison
with external agencies, such as health visitors, children's social services and health care
professionals. Leaders also make excellent use of resources available through the local
authority to ensure they access the most up-to-date information regarding support strategies
for children with SEND. Leaders ensure a wealth of training is available to staff, ensuring
that individualised learning plans for children are delivered effectively. This includes
successfully completing specialist training.
Leaders carefully track the progress of all children, including those with additional barriers to
their learning. Staff who work with these children are supported to understand how to break
down targets into small, manageable steps. They understand how to deliver their teaching
effectively to ensure that children progress through the curriculum. Staff know their key
children very well and understand how to implement specific strategies as required.
Additional funding is used appropriately, with careful consideration of the individual context
and needs of each child. The use of this funding has a notable impact on the children for
whom it is intended. For instance, they benefit from additional outings and experiences that
they may not otherwise have access to. This greatly supports their overall development and
sense of belonging in community situations.
Achievement Expected standard
Children progress well across all areas of learning and develop a range of knowledge and
skills to help prepare them for their next stage of learning, including school. For instance,
children develop important independence skills, such as self-care routines, dressing for
outdoors and lining up when asked. Children are keen to take part in singing sessions and
demonstrate their knowledge and enthusiasm when singing a range of key nursery rhymes.
Children with barriers to their learning also progress well from their starting points because
they receive the necessary support to ensure their ongoing development, in line with their
identified next steps.

Some limitations around sequencing of the curriculum do not consistently give children the
best preparation for the transition to school. For instance, introducing letter formation in pre-
school occurs before children have the necessary developmental skills for this.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders actively promote attendance and punctuality, which has a positive impact on how
well children settle into the nursery and the progress they make in their development.
Practitioners model kindness and respect for each other and teach children skills such as
sharing and turn-taking. Children are receptive and demonstrate these skills in their
independent play.
Leaders generally have high expectations for children's behaviour across the nursery, and
staff typically promote positive behaviour. Children show positive behaviours and play
together harmoniously. However, there is some variation in how staff support children to
understand the behavioural expectations. For instance, at times, staff use the single word
'wait' along with a hand signal without any further explanation when children are keen to
take more pieces of fruit at snack time. Children are not helped to understand why they
need to wait, which is confusing for them, particularly when they are hungry and are keen to
eat more snack.
Staff plan exciting and engaging activities to support children in all areas of their learning.
However, they do not consistently support children in developing age-appropriate learning
behaviours, such as how to focus their attention on a set task. Children's individual needs
are well considered, and staff understand these well. Praise is used to reinforce positive
behaviour, and children have trusting relationships with their key staff and other children.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
There is a positive and inclusive attitude to ensuring that children's welfare and wellbeing
are promoted, including for children who have barriers to their learning. Leaders have
implemented policies and practice to support children's welfare and wellbeing and,
generally, these are effective. For instance, children develop self-care skills, such as
handwashing before mealtimes. Children sit around tables together at mealtimes, which
encourages manners and social skills. Staff closely supervise mealtimes to ensure children's
safety. Staff support children's emotional wellbeing and provide cuddles and reassurance
when needed. Staff work closely with families to support children to begin toilet training,
ensuring a positive and supportive process for children.
However, there is some inconsistent practice around snack and mealtimes. For example,
the transitional routines around mealtimes can be overly long and, at times, children become
unsettled while waiting for their food.
Physical health is promoted well in the nursery. Curriculum enhancements, including
specialist physical education sessions, give children the opportunity to develop their physical
skills, stamina and a positive attitude to self-care and exercise. Children also benefit from a
range of healthy foods, including a range of fruit to choose from at snack time.

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders actively evaluate the quality of the curriculum and typically identify areas where
further development is needed. The curriculum design is effective in ensuring that children
make progress across all areas of learning. Staff provide a wide range of exciting activities
to stimulate children's interest. As a result, children have the opportunity to practise key
skills regularly.
Staff understand children's interests and gaps in learning and tailor their teaching to ensure
these needs are met. A focus on personal, social and emotional development helps children
to feel safe and secure. For instance, babies are given warm cuddles when they are
unsettled. Songs, rhymes and stories are used effectively to support children's
communication, language and love of books. Children excitedly join in with the words and
actions to favourite songs.
There is a focus on physical development in response to leaders' identification of the higher-
than-average obesity rate in the area. This includes bringing in external professionals to
provide physical education sessions and ensuring that children are offered a wide range of
fruit and vegetables. Children thoroughly enjoy practising their physical skills in the outdoor
area, and they participate in focused sessions with high levels of engagement. Staff
explicitly teach mathematics, such as focusing on counting fingers carefully when singing
number songs. The curriculum also reflects the diversity of the children who attend, for
example, learning about festivals that are pertinent to children's cultures.
At times, teaching is not consistently tailored to the individual stages of children's
development and there is variation in the quality of interactions. Some skills and concepts
are introduced before children are ready for them.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have an understanding of the nursery's context, and they use this knowledge to
make appropriate plans for further improvement of the provision as a whole and for staff
development and training. Leaders provide staff with opportunities to develop their
knowledge and skills, and staff are supported to implement improvements where these have
been identified. Leaders are particularly mindful to support the wellbeing of staff, who report
that they feel valued and their workload is manageable.
Leaders are proactive in accessing further training and support from external agencies,
including the local authority early years team. This is particularly beneficial in accessing
support for children and families who have vulnerabilities and who need additional support
to help them thrive. Partnerships with parents and carers are a strength, and parents
provide positive feedback regarding the impact the nursery has on their children's
development. Parents also report that staff are very supportive and approachable.
Although leaders support staff well and source training for their ongoing professional
development, this is not always matched precisely to priorities for improvement to ensure
consistent, high-quality practice that promotes the best learning outcomes for all children.

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children enjoy their time in the welcoming, family-centred nursery. They benefit from a wide
range of engaging learning opportunities, which support them in developing key skills across
all areas of learning. Babies beam with happiness as staff help them to develop physical
skills as they splash and play in the water tray. Toddlers are very keen to participate in group
singing sessions, which help to support their language development. Older children are
eager to explore the textures and smells of a range of fresh flowers. They confidently invite

Inspector:
their friends to smell the different types of flowers they have found, demonstrating their
mature social skills.
Children's individual interests and needs are carefully observed by their key members of
staff. Secure relationships with parents and carers help staff gain further understanding of
children's development. Learning is carefully planned and individualised, to support all
children to make rapid progress from their starting points. Children have positive
relationships with staff, and parents say that their children feel safe, secure and happy at the
nursery.
The highly impactful support for children and families who are facing challenges is a key
strength of the nursery. Children who have barriers to their learning are well supported by
key staff who understand their needs and ensure that learning is engaging and accessible.
As a result, all children are happily settled into the daily routines and flourish in their
development.
Children's behaviour is calm and purposeful. They develop key skills such as sharing and
turn-taking as a result of staff providing plenty of ongoing guidance and praise. Children's
positive progress and development is supported through leaders actively promoting the
importance of punctuality and attendance.
Next steps
Leaders should further evaluate the sequence of the curriculum and the quality of
interactions to ensure that teaching is focused accurately on age-appropriate learning and
children's developmental needs.
Leaders should further improve policies and practices in relation to mealtime routines, to
ensure that children's wellbeing is consistently prioritised.
Leaders should provide further high-quality professional learning opportunities for staff to
precisely match the ongoing priorities in the nursery.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinators, parents and
children during the 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.

Dani Taylor
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 310213
Address:
142-144 Queen Alexandra Road West
North Shields
Tyne and Wear
NE29 9AF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 23/01/2001
Registered person: Tynemouth Nursery Group Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: North Tyneside
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 19 May 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
64

Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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