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
Inspection report: 15 April 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Needs attention
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Urgent improvement
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has not 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 not 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
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.
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.
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.

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.
We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the
following actions by the assigned date:
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
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
ensure that those with designated safeguarding lead
responsibilities attend training in line with the criteria of
Annex C
05/05/2026
demonstrate clear knowledge and understanding of
safer recruitment procedures, including obtaining
references before staff are appointed
05/05/2026
provide support, coaching, and training for staff to
promote the safety and welfare of children
05/05/2026
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
take all reasonable steps to ensure children in your care
are not exposed to unnecessary risks
05/05/2026
ensure that children are adequately supervised, within
sight and hearing of staff at all times
05/05/2026
ensure that all children receive care that meets their
individual needs
05/05/2026
ensure leaders have sufficient skills and oversight of the
setting to identify and address weaknesses to keep
children safe
05/05/2026

Inspectors:
Ali Myers
Mikaela Stallard
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY256469
Address:
1 Yeomanry Road
Battlefield Enterprise Park
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY1 3EH
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 03/01/2003
Registered person: Tiddlywinks Shrewsbury Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Shropshire Council
Facts and figures used on inspection
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator and
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.
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.
This data is from 15 April 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
42
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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