Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 6.30am until 6.30pm
Sandy Tots Nursery
Ofsted: Good
(Aug 2024)
Number of places
122 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
Aug 2024
Local authority
Staffordshire
About this day nursery
Sandy Tots Nursery, located in Stafford, ST16 3NQ, provides a nurturing and engaging environment for children from their first months until they start school. This family-led nursery boasts over 40 years of childcare experience, offering a personal and continuous approach to supporting both children and their families.
The nursery operates with a gentle balance of thoughtful early learning, aligned with OFSTED and EYFS standards, and extensive outdoor play. Children benefit from purposefully organised rooms that foster independent learning and choice, alongside daily access to secure outdoor gardens.
They have three age-specific outdoor areas for different age groups (0-2 years, 2-3 years, and 3-5 years) and enjoy all-weather outdoor play. A unique aspect of Sandy Tots is the presence of on-site animals, including rabbits, fish, and a tortoise, which helps children develop empathy and responsibility.
The curriculum is delivered through engaging, hands-on activities, ensuring that learning is seamlessly integrated into real-world experiences both indoors and outdoors, ultimately building confidence, independence, and natural curiosity.
Our ethos
Sandytots nurtures every child with warmth, play, and plenty of fresh air, aiming to make their earliest introduction into an educational environment fun and magical. The nursery blends thoughtful early learning with extensive outdoor play to help children build confidence, independence, and a natural curiosity about the world. They believe in learning through animal companionship, which helps children develop empathy, kindness, and responsibility, and provide nature-led early learning where EYFS milestones are met naturally through play, curiosity, and hands-on activities.
What it's like
Staff at this nursery show genuine care and affection to children. All children have a positive attitude to learning and staff apply successful teaching methods to keep them engaged. Staff support children to learn about their own feelings and those of others, teaching them to take turns, which results in good behaviour.
Family-led nurseryEYFS-aligned curriculumExtensive outdoor playOn-site animalsAge-specific rooms and outdoor areas
Pricing & funding
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Request pricing →Key facts
Age range
0-5 years
Term time / All Year
All Year
Established
2013
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Sandy Tots Nursery
Last inspected 28 August 2024
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
What it's like to attend
Staff at this nursery show genuine care and affection to children. All children have a positive attitude to learning and staff apply successful teaching methods to keep them engaged. Staff support children to learn about their own feelings and those of others, teaching them to take turns, which results in good behaviour.
Inspector highlights
- The curriculum is well understood across the nursery, with a sequential programme of learning that builds on children's existing knowledge.
- Children become good communicators, with staff using familiar stories and Makaton to support language development, especially for younger children and those with SEND.
- Children learn to be independent, with younger children learning to use spoons and older children managing self-care skills.
- Leaders are reflective and respond to local and national developments, ensuring effective procedures for keeping children safe, including reviewing lockdown procedures.
- Partnerships with parents are a real strength, with regular play-and-stay sessions that help parents connect with the nursery and support learning at home.
Areas to develop
- 1strengthen the arrangements for supporting and coaching staff, so that roles and responsibilities are fully understood and carried out consistently across the nursery
- 2strengthen staff deployment so that children's needs are consistently met.
Inspection #10361970 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
What parents say
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
"children are happy to attend, staff are friendly and they feel supported as a whole family unit."
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Staff learn to use Makaton to communicate with younger children and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with external agencies and parents to ensure that any extra support children require is coordinated.
Outdoor space
Children enjoy learning outdoors. Staff teach them about the bugs they find, modelling how to handle them with care and supporting children to find suitable places for them to live. Children learn about the size of different bugs and how they move.
Parent Reviews of Sandy Tots Nursery
5.0
(12)
Sarah Widdowson
6 years ago
Absolutely love this Nursery. My two boys have thoroughly enjoyed every day here, in fact most days they don’t want to leave. The entrance hall is decorated every season to a spectacular style, the kids are wowed by it every day, Julie puts such effort into creating magical scenes, these are the things they don’t have to do but do, to see the smile on the children’s faces each morning. The homemade food, the sensory room, the activities and the staff are so attentive, nothing is too much for them. 5star highly recommend!
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Sarah Bixter
6 years ago
Both my children have gone to Sandy Tots and I can't recommend them enough. The staff really go that extra mile to make the children feel welcome and loved. The facilities are brilliant, especially all their various outside spaces, which are suitable for all ages. We get regular updates on our children's progress and plenty of parents evenings giving us chance to ask any questions and hear how they are getting on. My children have loved their time here and I would definitely recommend them.
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C B
6 years ago
My children have attended Sandy tots for the past 5 years and I cannot say a bad thing about them. The staff are always friendly, attentive and knowledgeable in what they do. The rooms are clean and tidy, they have lots of activitys to keep the youngsters happy. They even have pets for the little ones to care for and play with. Another bonus is you can drop your children of from as early as 6:30am! Great if your a shift worker. They also keep you up to date with your child's progress via the Tapestry website, very handy and great to see how your little ones are doing. I would reccomend any parents looking for a local nursery to check out Sandy tots.
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Hannah Needham
6 years ago
My Daughter has been going to this nursery since she was 5 and a half months old (she's now 2 years and 4 months!) The staff are brilliant and the nursery is beautiful. My daughter has come on leaps and bounds with the help of the nursery and she has made so many friends. I know she will do amazingly when she gets to primary school age. I can't thank the staff and children at Sandy Tots enough!
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Siobhan Clarke
3 years ago
Clear procedures, friendly staff and most importantly happy children. My daughter loved the time she spent at Sandytots and I always felt well informed about everything necessary. Dropping her off and picking her up was welcoming and reassuring.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Sandy Tots Nursery. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Date: March 2014
- August 2024Good
- September 2021Good
- November 2016Good
- March 2014Good
Frequently asked about Sandy Tots Nursery
About the setting
Sandytots registered in 2013 and is based in Stafford. It opens Monday to Friday, all year round, from 6.30am until 6.30pm. The nursery offers a before- and after-school club and a holiday club and employs 33 members of staff, 26 of whom hold a relevant qualification at level 3 to level 6. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.
- URN
- EY469523
- Registered person
- Sandytots Limited
- Day care type
- Full day care
- Register
- Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
- Establishment type
- Childcare on non-domestic premises
- Previous rating
- Good
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