Tiddley Tots Nursery

Tiddley Tots Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2788493
Address: 84-86 Fore Street, Hertford, SG14 1AA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 12/04/2024
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Tiddley Tots Childcare Ltd
Inspection report: 17 February 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.

Expected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff model kindness and respect. Children copy this in their play and quickly develop
friendships across the nursery. For example, they give a cheery wave to their friends who
pass through the room on their way to the garden. They play alongside one another and
interact well. Staff know children well and meet their individual needs. Children demonstrate
a genuine love of learning. They are eager to share their ideas and explore the environment.
Daily routines provide structure and support children as they move between different parts
of the day, such as preparing for snack or getting ready to play outdoors, helping them
develop confidence and independence.
Staff notice quickly when children become unsettled and step in with calm voices and
effective strategies that help them to manage their feelings. This consistent approach
ensures that behaviour remains positive and that children feel safe and confident to join in.
Staff consider each child's age, stage and circumstances when supporting behaviour.
Adjustments are made when children have barriers to their learning to ensure that all
children are supported appropriately.
Leaders actively engage with families to highlight the importance of consistent attendance,
ensuring that children benefit from regular participation in the setting's routines.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children's wellbeing is at the heart of this nursery. Leaders and staff provide a safe, warm
and welcoming environment where children feel secure and valued. Each child is allocated a
key person, which supports their continuity of care and emotional support. Staff know
children well and understand how to support their individual needs. Effective settling-in
sessions help children to feel safe, and detailed information is gathered from parents to
support a smooth transition. Staff teach older children to recognise and talk about their
feelings through consistent conversations during daily routines. Additional funding has been
used to create quiet spaces for children to access when they need to. This builds their
emotional awareness, self-esteem and sense of belonging.
Leaders place strong emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles. Children benefit from daily
outdoor play and walks in the local community, which support physical development and
wellbeing. Staff involve children in self-care routines, such as washing their hands and
making healthy choices at mealtimes. Staff also help children learn about personal safety,
for example by teaching them to remain seated while eating to reduce the risk of choking.
Children enjoy nutritious meals, further supporting their understanding of healthy eating.
Children enjoy visiting the local farmers market to gather ingredients for cooking activities,
building their knowledge of where our food comes from.

Needs attention
Achievement Needs attention
Leaders have not yet considered the curriculum for communication and language for the
youngest children and, as a result, they are not making progress in their language
development. Therefore, children do not achieve well enough across this area of the early
years foundation stage to prepare them for the next stage of their learning. Older children
communicate their thoughts and ideas clearly and are developing language and reasoning
skills well. For instance, children experiment with ice, recalling prior learning about habitats.
However, due to weaknesses in teaching across the setting, all children are not yet typically
supported to deepen their learning or extend their thinking further. As a result, not all
children make the best possible progress they are capable of.
Children develop their physical skills well through a wide range of engaging activities.
Babies have consistent opportunities to crawl, pull themselves up and take their first steps.
Older children benefit from daily outdoor play, where they confidently run, balance and
climb. These experiences support children to become physically confident and well prepared
for future learning.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
There are some inconsistencies in the quality of the teaching of the curriculum. For
example, staff do not always know when to use their interactions with children to extend
their learning or talk through activities to develop children's language. This means that, at
times, staff cannot support children to achieve to the best of their abilities. Leaders have
created a curriculum that focuses on building children's knowledge and skills over time.
However, strategies in place to enhance communication and language are not used
consistently, and therefore there is not as much of an impact as leaders expect.
Personal, social and emotional development is a priority. Children play alongside each other
and share resources. Staff join children in their play, role modelling how to play together and
encouraging children to develop friends. Pancake Day activities across the setting provide
opportunities for children to practise their counting skills. Staff count the number of scoops
of flour younger children transfer into a pot while the oldest children predict the number of
scoops needed for the mixture.
Curriculum information is shared with parents regularly. Using an online app, photos of
activities children complete during the day are shared. For children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities, leaders work with professionals to ensure next steps are
appropriate and consistent strategies are put into place for children. Staff complete regular
assessment of children's learning and development to look for gaps in their learning.
Inclusion Needs attention
Staff show varying levels of confidence in adapting the curriculum to meet children's
individual needs. As a result, activities are not always planned or adapted well enough to
ensure they are accessible to all children. For the youngest babies, activities are not

planned to support their next steps, and as a result, they miss opportunities to build on what
they already know and can do. In the garden area, resources and equipment are not
suitable for all children, and staff do not have the skills or knowledge to adapt the
environment so all children can learn.
Leaders and staff are committed to supporting all children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with parents and external
professionals to ensure accurate assessments capture children's emerging needs. Leaders
ensure referrals are completed in a timely manner, gathering supporting evidence from
professionals. This means children have plans in place ready for their move to the next
stage of their education. Leaders support families to access any additional funding available
and make suitable use of this to purchase specific resources that reflect the needs of the
children it is intended for.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders are not aware of the weaknesses in the quality of teaching across the setting.
Leaders have not reflected accurately on the quality of the provision. They have not made
changes to the curriculum or ensured that staff have the appropriate skills to support the
needs of the children attending the setting. Leaders are not aware that staff are not able to
differentiate activities to ensure all children are able to access learning opportunities.
Leaders have not reflected on how the garden provision supports the needs of the children
who prefer to learn outdoors. Leaders have not identified gaps in the youngest children's
communication and language development. This hinders the progress that this group of
children makes.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive appropriate support to
help them access guidance from other professionals. Leaders promote partnership working
with parents and other professionals to provide children with consistency. Staff have access
to a wide range of training opportunities; however, these do not always impact on the quality
of teaching in the setting.
Leaders encourage staff to share learning with each other to provide consistency in practice
for all. Regular one-to-one sessions support staff's ongoing development and wellbeing.
Staff comment on how they feel fully supported by leaders. The provider has created a
positive culture that is embedded throughout this setting.

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
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children form positive, warm and trusting relationships with staff. Babies are reassured by
staff's close contact and seek them out for comfort. Staff know the care routines that parents
and carers follow at home and use this information to understand and respond to babies'
needs and wants.
Children are happy and behave well, responding quickly to gentle reminders from staff about
behaviour expectations. For instance, when minor conflicts arise, staff support children by
modelling appropriate interactions, and help children work through their disagreements. As a
result, children understand appropriate behaviour and learn to cooperate and empathise
with others.
Staff have secure procedures in place to identify and support children who may have
barriers to their learning. These children benefit from tailored care and targeted support
plans. This helps ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are
well prepared for their next stages of learning.
Staff form positive relationships with families, and they take the time to get to understand
children's lived experiences. Staff are aware that children have differing starting points.
Information gathered when children begin at the setting forms the start of baseline
assessments, alongside staff's own observations. Children demonstrate a feeling of
belonging, settling well and showing familiarity with the setting's routines. Children receive
support to gain independence in their self-care skills, ready for the move to school. Children
are kind to each other. As they move through the setting, children develop their play skills

Inspector:
Lisa Smith
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2788493
and friendships. Children progress from playing alongside each other to playing with other
children. Attendance at the setting is a high priority for leaders.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the
provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
ensure the curriculum focuses on communication and
language development to ensure all children make
expected progress
17/05/2026
ensure staff have the skills and knowledge to
differentiate activities and ensure high-quality teaching
across the setting
17/05/2026
improve oversight of the setting's curriculum to ensure
all children develop skills and knowledge for the next
steps in their learning
17/05/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with the manager, the deputy manager, staff 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.

Address:
84-86 Fore Street
Hertford
SG14 1AA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 12/04/2024
Registered person: Tiddley Tots Childcare Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Hertfordshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 17 February 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
59
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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