URN 2863600 · Inspected 2026-09-24 · Published 2026-10-19 · Inspector: Elizabeth Fish
The Den Nursery by Tamsin's Little Acorns Unique reference number (URN): 2863600 Address: The Bungalow, Woodhorn Road, Newbiggin By-The-Sea, Northumberland, NE64 6HG Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/11/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: The Newbiggin Den Limited Inspection report: 24 September 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 Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders establish clear and effective expectations. Staff reinforce the routines and expectations which children follow. For instance, two-year-old children line up as they move back to their room after lunch. They put hands on their friends' shoulders as they navigate their way through the nursery. Children behave very well and develop very positive relationships. They take turns as they send vehicles down the ramp. They work together to build bridges with bricks. Staff support children effectively when conflicts do occur. For example, they talk to children and reinforce the need for kind hands when they try to use a branch at the same time. Staff reinforce that they could use different branches. This supports children to play harmoniously. Children develop consistently positive attitudes to their learning. They concentrate well as they use tools, such as scissors or knives, to cut the playdough. Staff research different strategies to help children to manage their emotions. Throughout the nursery, there is a focus on helping children to understand how they are feeling. Children regulate their emotions effectively. For instance, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, show impressive resilience when a ramp falls in the pre-school room. The ramp knocks down a tunnel they have built too. Children calmly work together to put the ramp up and build the tunnel again. They demonstrate impressive resilience for their age. Staff monitor attendance and go above and beyond to help children attend the sessions that they are entitled to. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff work exceptionally well to identify children's individual needs. They use home visits when children first start to develop a detailed understanding of areas where they can provide additional support. For instance, they identify children who may face barriers to their learning when they first start. They work with parents and carers to identify how they can support children further. This support is highly effective in helping children to settle. Staff use assessments to understand children's stage of development. They work with parents to identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use adaptations effectively. For example, visual timetables and resources help children to anticipate what will happen next. This helps children to settle and follow the routines. Staff work tirelessly with other professionals to ensure children get the support they need at an early stage. For instance, they talk to health visitors and share the Progress Check at age 2 to provide targeted support when necessary. They support children who are known to children's social care exceptionally well. They make adaptations to help children attend regularly. Examples of adaptations include altering the session times or collecting children so that they benefit from their time in the setting. Expected standard Leaders use funding highly effectively to support children who are disadvantaged. They build staff expertise in communication and language and provide opportunities they would not ordinarily experience. This has had an impressive impact on the progress children make. Achievement Expected standard Children typically make steady progress. In some areas, such as communication and language, children make impressive progress. They become confident communicators who are keen to use their language to express their thoughts and ideas. For example, as they look at a spider, they consider where the spider's mother might be. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress. They gain a range of skills, and this helps them to catch up to their peers swiftly. Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Children engage for extended periods. For example, they are entranced as they explore spiders outside. They show care and concern as they look after the spider they collected in a jar. When they want to put the spider back in the grass, they stroke the jar, saying 'come on gorgeous.' Children develop their mathematical skills. Younger children count with numbers in order. Older children develop confidence as they throw the dice and count out a precise number of conkers. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders place a high priority on children's wellbeing. Staff work with parents and carers from the beginning to understand any barriers to children's wellbeing. For example, they find out about any specific dietary requirements and build on children's routines at home. They adapt their settling in arrangements to help children to settle and quickly feel at home. Children quickly develop lovely relationships with staff. This is evident as they sit on staff's knee or next to them. Staff are able to provide the reassurance that children need when they first start at nursery or change rooms. However, sometimes, a small number of children become over reliant on staff for support.on occasions because staff do not always encourage children to try some of the play experiences available to them. Staff reflect on the routines and adapt these to support children's confidence and wellbeing. For example, staff working with two-year-old children adapt the arrangements for snack so that children can eat in a calm environment with few distractions. Staff teach children about how they can keep themselves healthy. Children typically learn to wash their hands before eating and enjoy time in the well-equipped garden. They enjoy fresh air and exercise as they play with the bikes or explore the water. Staff teach children about healthy food choices. At lunch time, older children explain that broccoli makes them strong. Staff place a high priority on children's oral health. Staff have implemented a range of strategies, such as toothbrushing, to support this. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have an exceptionally well-thought-out curriculum that supports children's age and stage of development. Staff use assessments well to identify what children need to learn next. They focus precisely on their next steps in learning. Children who face barriers to their learning progress benefit from small precise targets to help them progress rapidly. For instance, following assessments, staff develop children's understanding of the term 'under'. Communication and language is a strength of the nursery. Staff adapt their language carefully to support children's stage of development. For example, staff working with babies focus on single words and everyday phrases. Babies copy this, as well as staff's intonation. Staff place a high priority on books and songs. A continued focus on a particular book helps staff to embed key vocabulary. For example, staff use the book 'Dear Zoo' to teach toddlers about animals and the noises they make. They also focus on key words such as 'grumpy'. This helps children to copy and anticipate these phrases. For example, when they see the monkey in the book, they explain 'he's too jumpy'. The curriculum that children experience is typically of a high quality. Staff work with children to develop their fascination of spiders. However, on occasions, staff provide too much support and reassurance to children. Sometimes the secure attachments that children develop with staff can prevent children from accessing a consistently high-quality curriculum. Staff develop children's mathematical development. They reinforce counting throughout the day. For example, as they line up to go for lunch or snack. Leaders are keen to develop a deeper level understanding of numbers and quantities. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have a very clear understanding of their strengths and areas for development. For instance, they are currently developing the confidence of newer members of staff and apprentices. They have reorganised staffing so that all newer staff can learn from an experienced mentor. This, alongside weekly support and training, helps apprentices to understand their role. Leaders place a high priority on staff wellbeing. Some staff work term time only to spend time with their families. Leaders employ additional staff to release other staff so that they can complete any work or training Leaders typically monitor practice and are currently developing the expertise of other staff to carry out this role, however, this is not yet sufficiently embedded and as a result there are some minor inconsistencies that have not yet been identified. Staff undertake a wealth of training to support the priorities in the nursery. For example, leaders and staff have undertaken extensive training in communication and language. This has had a positive impact on children's progress in communication. Staff have an excellent relationship with parents and carers. They use a range of strategies to communicate with parents about their children's learning. Leaders have developed effective strategies to help parents support children's learning. For example, homework bags engage children in practical activities at home, such as an autumn hunt. Children thoroughly enjoy the termly 'mingles' where they show their parents the things they play with. Staff work effectively with local schools to support children's transition to school. For instance, they take children for visits and invite teachers to visit children in nursery. This allows them to share detailed information and develop effective plans to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children thrive in this small, inclusive and friendly nursery. They benefit from dedicated staff who care deeply about each child as an individual. Children develop extremely positive relationships with staff and other children. For example, two- and three-year old children have a detailed conversation with staff as they sit in the play boat outside. Other children climb the steps to say 'hello' to other staff that are in a separate part of the garden. They have the confidence to express their own wishes. For example, when staff hand them a football over the wall, they explain; 'Not that one, the yellow one.' Children enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum that is based on their fascinations. Learning is extended from these fascinations. For example, children are very concerned that a spider has lost his mummy. They use language confidently to explain their ideas and thought processes. They explain, 'she might be in the long grass because she's scared.' Other children are keen to join in and hunt for the mummy spider. As children hunt, other children talk to the spider and say 'don't worry, we'll find your mummy'. Children engage in high level play and develop positive attitudes to learning. They are curious learners who are keen to try things out. For instance, children explore the speed that vehicles travel down a ramp. They explore the different heights of the ramp to see the effects that the slope has. Children spend a large proportion of their time outside. They benefit from exceptionally well-equipped 'stations' that support children's learning across the whole curriculum. All children progress well from their starting points and develop a range of skills that support them in the next stage of their learning. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. At lunchtime, they check with staff if the pasta bowl is hot before they start to serve themselves. Inspector: Elizabeth Fish About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2863600 Address: The Bungalow Woodhorn Road Newbiggin By-The-Sea Northumberland NE64 6HG Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 11/11/2025 Registered person: The Newbiggin Den Limited Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30 Next steps Leaders should strengthen monitoring and mentoring of staff to further improve practice and raise the quality of teaching to a higher level. Leaders should help staff to provide consistent opportunities for children to confidently explore their environment with the reassurance of their key person. About this inspection The inspector spoke with children, leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and carers 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. Local authority: Northumberland Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 24 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 3 Total number of places 35 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