Tamsin's Little Acorns

Tamsin's Little Acorns
Unique reference number (URN): 2863637
Address: 255 Hawthorn Road, Ashington, NE63 0QT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 29/09/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Acorns (Ashington) Limited
Inspection report: 25 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
Expected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders place children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of their practice. A well-
established key-person system is a strength of the setting. Staff create warm, trusting bonds
with children. They understand their routines, interests and unique needs. Leaders create
safe, welcoming and nurturing environments where children feel secure and confident.
Children settle quickly and move around the nursery with confidence. Children readily seek
comfort and reassurance from familiar staff when needed. Children demonstrate they feel
safe, secure and valued.
Staff implement structured sleep routines to support babies' and young children's health and
emotional wellbeing. They follow safe sleep guidance and check sleeping children at regular
intervals. As children grow, staff help them understand that rest and relaxation are important
for a healthy lifestyle. After lunch, pre-school children have a quiet time. They lie down and
watch images of stars and planets projected on the ceiling.
Staff help children make healthy choices about food and support their physical health. They
provide healthy, home-cooked meals and encourage children to serve their own food. For
example, children choose vegetables from shared bowls at mealtimes. They talk with staff
about how these foods help their bodies grow and stay healthy. Staff support all children,
including babies, to brush their teeth after breakfast each morning. As a result, children
develop healthy habits and growing independence.
Achievement Expected standard
Children develop the skills they need for their next stage of learning. Generally, they make
typical progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs
and those who face other barriers to learning.
Children show a keen interest in books and singing. They communicate confidently and
follow instructions well throughout the day. Children build their skills and knowledge over
time. Babies develop their physical skills as they squeeze sponges in bubbly water. Toddlers
use tools for hammering and enjoy making marks with whiteboard pens. Older children
show increasing independence. For example, they set up lunch and arrange their friends'
cups by recognising the names on them.
Children are ready for their next learning stage, including the transition to school. They
develop confidence and independence as they take responsibility for everyday tasks. For
example, they serve themselves food at lunchtime and manage personal care routines. As a
result, children gain the skills they need for future learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children show an understanding of expectations across the setting. Staff are positive role
models for children. They help children understand and follow expectations through calm,
respectful interactions. For example, when babies crawl over and lie on top of each other,
staff gently redirect them and model how to lie safely on cushions. Older children in the pre-
school room play with their friends and learn to take turns. For example, they wait patiently
for their turn to use the water tap to fill containers for water play. Children are kind and
considerate towards others and show positive attitudes to learning.
Staff use various strategies to support children's behaviour and emotional wellbeing. These
strategies generally help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or
learning barriers effectively. For example, staff use stories to help children explore and
discuss their feelings. Some children also have their own emotion boxes. These boxes
contain visual prompts to help them manage their feelings. However, this practice is not
consistent and, as a result, not all children who may benefit from this strategy do so.
Leaders work closely with families to promote good attendance. They regularly highlight the
importance of children attending consistently. When attendance issues come up, leaders
talk to families and get help from other agencies if needed. As a result, most children attend
regularly and can take part in the full range of learning opportunities.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have developed a curriculum that helps children build skills and knowledge across
all areas of learning. They carefully plan how these skills and knowledge develop as children
move through the nursery rooms. For example, babies learn to drink from an open cup. Staff
build on this skill as children progress through the nursery. This helps them become more
independent. The curriculum is inclusive for all children. As a result, staff give children
learning experiences that suit their age and stage of development.
Children typically benefit from effective teaching across the setting. Key workers adapt
planning to help all children take part. Leaders have a clear focus on children's physical
development. For example, staff encourage babies to pull themselves up and climb on a
climbing arch. Children in the toddler room use tools to hammer plastic pegs into potatoes.
They also use knives to cut the potatoes. As a result, children develop their hand strength,
coordination and control. On the whole, children make steady progress in their learning.
Children are articulate and talk confidently with their friends and staff. Staff promote a
language-rich environment that supports children's communication skills. However, staff do
not always use open-ended questions to extend children's thinking. As a result, children do
not always have the opportunity to fully explore and develop their ideas. Children develop
their mathematical knowledge and skills well. Staff weave mathematics into everyday play
and provide planned opportunities to teach new concepts. For example, staff encourage
babies to count '1, 2, 3' as they explore sponges and water. Older children are encouraged
to add 'one more' scoop of soil when planting flowers. As a result, children begin to use
mathematical language in meaningful contexts.

Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff work together to identify barriers to children's learning and development.
They work sensitively with families to share concerns and discuss children's needs. Staff
generally assess children's needs well and use small, achievable targets to support
progress. However, staff do not always implement strategies swiftly enough to address
barriers to learning. As a result, strategies do not always have the intended impact as
quickly as they could.
Leaders seek support from a range of professionals. They work closely with speech and
language therapists, health visitors and the local authority. Together, they plan and review
support for children. Leaders also work closely with social workers and family workers. As a
result of this multi-agency approach, staff understand and meet the needs of disadvantaged
children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Leaders support families to access additional funding for which children may be eligible.
They use this funding to meet children's individual needs. For example, funding is used to
buy sensory resources and improve staffing ratios. As a result, children receive more
targeted support to help them engage in learning and make progress.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are dedicated and enthusiastic about giving every child high-quality care and
education. They know children and families well and play an active role in the daily life of the
nursery. Leaders maintain a visible presence across the setting and model effective practice
for staff. They ensure staff training remains up to date and regularly check staff knowledge
and understanding. As a result, children benefit from high-quality care and learning
experiences.
Leaders review the effectiveness of the curriculum and identify areas for further
development. They help staff develop their knowledge and skills through ongoing training
and professional development. For example, leaders identify training that reflects the needs
of staff. Leaders support staff to take on additional responsibilities and develop their
leadership skills. As a result, staff continue to improve their practice and enhance children's
experiences.
Leaders build strong relationships with families and the wider community. They
communicate regularly with parents and encourage them to play an active role in their
children's learning and development. When children get additional funding, leaders talk with
parents about how to use it to meet their children's needs. As a result, children benefit from
a shared approach to supporting their learning and development.
Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and take steps to manage workload effectively. They
provide staff with time away from the rooms to complete paperwork and other tasks.
Leaders promote a welcoming, family-focused culture. They organise team-building events
that strengthen relationships across the team. As a result, staff feel valued, supported and
motivated in their roles.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children enjoy spending time in this calm, nurturing and happy nursery. They feel safe,
secure and valued. They receive comfort and reassurance when needed from their key
person. Warm and caring relationships help children feel confident, settled and safe.
Children are eager to learn. They happily take part in a wide range of experiences that
develop skills across all areas of learning. Children enjoy learning that reflects their interests
and experiences. They take an active role in their play and exploration, showing curiosity
and confidence. Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play and have regular access to outdoor
spaces within the nursery. They show excitement as they explore the water tanks and pipes.
They use trial and error to test their ideas and solve problems. For example, children work
cooperatively to build a volcano using different-sized pipes and large amounts of water.
Children also enjoy trips on the nursery bus to local woods and parks. These experiences
help them learn about the world around them.
Children benefit from the inclusive environment. Staff generally consider children's learning
and next steps carefully, and this helps children make steady progress from their starting
points. For example, babies progress from babbling to using words. They move from
crawling to walking and climbing with confidence. Older children become increasingly
independent as they serve their own food and manage their personal care.
Children form positive relationships and learn alongside their peers from a young age.
Babies snuggle together to listen to stories and learn to take turns. Older children enjoy role
play with puppets and chat excitedly with their friends. They play well together and enjoy
each other's company. Children show positive behaviour throughout the nursery.
Staff work in partnership with families. This is a strength of the setting. Staff encourage them
to contribute their ideas and views. For example, families share suggestions for the nursery
menu. Staff work closely with families and outside agencies to promote good attendance.
Staff, families and outside agencies work together to remove any barriers that keep children
from attending regularly.
Next steps
Leaders should support staff to use open-ended questions consistently so children
expand their thinking and develop their ideas.

Inspector:
Joanne Hughes
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2863637
Address:
255 Hawthorn Road
Ashington
NE63 0QT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 29/09/2025
Registered person: Acorns (Ashington) Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30
Local authority: Northumberland
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
Leaders should support staff to consistently implement strategies that swiftly and
effectively address any barriers children face.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, children and parents 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.

This data is from 25 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
24
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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