Tiny Toes Day Nursery

Tiny Toes Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY495123
Address: 1 Sutherland Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 8GA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 15/12/2015
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Tiny Toes (southampton) Ltd
Inspection report: 4 August 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
Achievement Strong standard
Children make more than expected progress in their learning and development and are very
well prepared for their next stage of learning, such as starting school. They are confident
and well mannered and have a secure understanding of the expectations for their behaviour.
Children from a young age are able to make independent choices about their play and are
eager to explore the provision. They develop secure relationships with their peers and
happily include each other in their play, even from the youngest age.
Children's language develops rapidly in relation to their individual stage of development.
Children engage in meaningful back-and-forth interactions from a very young age. This
means that very young children quickly learn the concepts of conversation and sharing of
their thoughts, ideas and wants. They beam in delight as staff recognise their early attempts
at communication.
Children's independence skills are prioritised throughout the nursery. From a very young
age, children learn to use open cups and become increasingly more independent, such as
self-serving their own lunch and snacks as they get older.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
The environment throughout the provision has been enhanced, and staff now have a robust
knowledge and understanding of recognising the impact of noise levels and poor routines on
children's behaviour and wellbeing. They have changed their practice to ensure that routines
are now very calm and meet the needs of the children, and that sound levels are
significantly lower. This has a considerable impact on children's behaviour, which is now
calm and consistent, with children having a secure understanding of the expectations.
Children behave exceptionally well. There are high expectations for all children that are age-
and stage-appropriate and implemented consistently throughout the provision. Children from
a young age learn to play collaboratively together. For example, babies eagerly take turns
rolling the ball to each other and are keen to include others in their play.
Children demonstrate that they feel settled and secure as they have built very warm and
trusting relationships with staff. If children become unsettled, such as during a transition
period, staff quickly and effectively meet children's needs and help them settle swiftly.
Children eagerly reach out to staff for cuddles, as well as excitedly showing them their toys.
Staff act as excellent role models for children in every aspect. They model manners and
taking turns, as well as modelling extensive vocabulary for children. Staff and leaders
promote the importance of attendance and work closely with families to break down any
barriers to children attending regularly.

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Children's wellbeing is now prioritised by leaders and staff. Children, including those who
face barriers to learning, demonstrate that they feel safe and secure at the provision. They
show secure attachments with their key person, and these are developed and strengthened
from a child's first day. Children are becoming increasingly curious and explorative as they
use their key person as a secure base. Leaders and staff have worked hard to strengthen
their knowledge of supporting babies, and staff are now able to intuitively meet children's
needs, such as knowing when children need a quiet space and providing them with this.
Staff know their children exceptionally well, including their wellbeing needs and their next
steps in learning and development.
Children develop secure habits to keep themselves healthy. For example, they learn to
recognise hunger cues and serve themselves a corresponding amount at lunchtime. They
recognise they need to drink plenty of water in the hot weather and eagerly and skilfully use
the self-serve dispensers to pour their own drinks. Staff regularly share information with
parents to support healthy habits, and children eagerly help themselves to the fruit bowl on
the way home.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
There is now a curriculum in place that is highly ambitious for all children and meets their
needs. The curriculum is implemented consistently and to a high standard by all staff. Staff
have worked intensively to develop a robust understanding of the curriculum aims and how
to be adaptive to ensure the curriculum is age- and stage-appropriate for every child. This
leads to high quality teaching that consistently supports children in all areas of learning.
Staff prioritise their teaching and engagement with children over routine tasks. They ensure
their engagement with children is purposeful and of a high quality. This helps children make
beyond-typical progress in their learning and development.
Staff ensure mathematics is taught explicitly and frequently. For example, younger babies
count ducks as they sing songs, and older children problem-solve as they learn about heavy
and light while using outdoor scales.
Children benefit from purposeful physical development. For example, older children create a
balancing course, which strengthens their balance and coordination. They learn to take risks
safely. Staff encourage and frequently praise, which boosts children's self-confidence and
self-esteem. They beam in delight as they succeed at balancing.
Inclusion Strong standard
There have been significant changes to the provision's approach to supporting children who
face barriers to learning, in particular children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities. Leaders now ensure that staff have a robust knowledge and understanding, as
well as the skills, to quickly identify gaps in learning and implement appropriate strategies
while working closely with external agencies to ensure the relevant referrals are completed.
This helps children make more than expected progress in their learning and development.
Leaders now ensure that parents have an active role in setting children's targets and

reviewing these. This helps create a consistent joined-up approach that actively promotes
and supports children's learning and development.
Leaders ensure that additional funding is used effectively, such as providing one-to-one care
to ensure children's needs are being met well. Leaders ensure any resources that are
purchased meet the children's individual needs, such as purchasing story resources to
support communication development.
Staff now have a robust understanding of children's different communication styles and are
highly in tune with these to enable them to effectively meet children's needs. For example,
they respond quickly and appropriately when children wish to communicate by using staff's
hands to point at things. Children take delight in being able to communicate their thoughts
with staff and their peers.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
There has been significant change and improvement at this provision since the last
inspection. There has been a change in leadership, and the new leaders have a detailed
and perceptive understanding of the provision's strengths and areas for development.
Leaders are passionate about the work that they do and are continuously observing,
reflecting and enhancing practice even further. Leaders have empowered staff and other
leaders so they now feel able to have an active role in the continuing development of
practice. They note that their contribution is now welcomed, valued and acted upon.
Leaders have worked exceptionally hard to improve the quality of the provision. They now
ensure that they have effective oversight of staff practice and are implementing rigorous
training, coaching and mentoring of staff to improve their knowledge of safeguarding and to
improve the quality of teaching. There is now a positive culture around whistleblowing, and
staff feel confident in the procedures to follow should they need to do this. Staff are now
effective at identifying potential hazards and mitigating against these. For example, staff
quickly and efficiently clean the floor during mealtimes to remove any potential trip hazards.
Leaders and staff work hard to develop key attachments with families before they even start
at the provision. For example, they share videos of staff introducing themselves and singing
songs. This helps children and parents to become familiar with staff, which enables a
smoother transition into the provision. This partnership continues to strengthen once a
family attends, with staff running regular events for families, such as 'Dad and Dens' day and
encouraging families to borrow books from the lending library.

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, including those who face barriers to learning, are now thriving at this provision.
They have exceptionally warm and trusting relationships with staff and peers. Very young
babies now demonstrate they feel safe and secure and use their key person for reassurance
as and when needed. Young babies now feel confident to be curious and explore the world
around them, knowing their key person is right where they need them to be.
Children take ownership of their space and their belongings, and staff act as very positive
role models. This helps to create a positive culture where everybody shares responsibility to

Inspector:
Natasha Jarvis
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY495123
look after their space. For example, children eagerly help to make their beds and create
their sleeping space at nap time, which means they create a calm and relaxing space that
they look after.
Children develop their communication through songs and stories throughout the provision.
Babies eagerly copy actions to favourite nursery rhymes, and older children spontaneously
sing favourite rhymes. Leaders have introduced new initiatives such as 'drop and read' to
really engage children's enthusiasm with storytelling. As soon as children hear the bell, they
race to the story chair and sit eagerly for their story. Children then develop their vocabulary
even further as they make attempts at telling their friends the story.
Children consistently demonstrate high levels of engagement. They are keen to learn and
enhance their knowledge further. They are excited to share their accomplishments with staff
and the new discoveries they make. For example, children eagerly show staff how to turn
the numeral 3 into a heart shape and beam in delight at their discovery.
Next steps
Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove
barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all
children's achievement and wellbeing.
About this inspection
There has been a change in leadership since the last inspection.
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children.
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.

Address:
1 Sutherland Road
Southampton
Hampshire
SO16 8GA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 15/12/2015
Registered person: Tiny Toes (southampton) Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:30
Local authority: Southampton
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 4 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
118
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.
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,
please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium,
under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy
Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:
psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.
This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk.
Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information
and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn.
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
T: 0300 123 1231
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

© Crown copyright 2026
© Crown copyright