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Tiny Tinkers Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(Jun 2025)
·
5.0(7 parent reviews) ·Fencehouses & District Community Centre, Woodstone Village, Houghton Le Spring, DH4 6DS · Durham
Number of places
36 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jun 2025
Local authority
Durham

About this day nursery

Tiny Tinkers Nursery is dedicated to fostering a nurturing and educational space where children can flourish through play, learning, and personal development. Their philosophy centres on viewing the environment through a child's eyes, ensuring a layout and resources that promote comfort, engagement, and inspiration.

The nursery aims for children to cultivate happiness, confidence, motivation, resilience, creativity, and independence, while also becoming good communicators and curious explorers. They encourage children to embrace new experiences and take calculated risks.

The nursery focuses on building strong bonds with key children, providing stimulating environments, and using authentic resources. Influenced by the curiosity approach, Tiny Tinkers Nursery creates a unique, home-like atmosphere with vibrant and colourful settings, integrating authentic materials to support various learning styles and brain development.

They also prioritise understanding brain development, schemas, and the different ways children learn, which heavily influences their resourcing strategies.

What it's like

Staff create a warm, friendly and home-from-home environment for children with plenty of resources that stimulate their interest and imagination. Children arrive eager to play and learn, and their views are very important to managers and staff. Children become highly engaged in various activities, from planting in their suggested garden centre in the outdoor area to developing early writing skills through mark-making.

Child-centric approachCuriosity approach-influencedFocus on authentic resourcesHome-from-home environment

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

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Key facts

Opening hours

Daycare: Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2022

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Tiny Tinkers Nursery

Last inspected 11 June 2025 · Lynne Pope

Safeguarding effective
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 create a warm, friendly and home-from-home environment for children with plenty of resources that stimulate their interest and imagination. Children arrive eager to play and learn, and their views are very important to managers and staff. Children become highly engaged in various activities, from planting in their suggested garden centre in the outdoor area to developing early writing skills through mark-making.

Inspector highlights

  • Managers are passionate about the nursery and what it offers to children, having worked hard to make improvements since the last inspection.
  • A new curriculum has been developed and implemented well, helping staff to plan effectively for their key children.
  • Strong support is available to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with staff working closely with parents and other professionals.
  • Staff provide a wide range of activities and opportunities for children, including a focus book that changes every two weeks, encouraging deep learning and imaginative play.
  • Staff support children's communication and language well, providing commentary during play and helping children learn new words.

Areas to develop

  • 1support staff to understand the impact of using negative words with children
  • 2support staff to know when to discuss children's feelings with them to help them to understand their emotions.
Inspection #10390206 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

There is strong support to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals, implementing strategies shared by them and providing one-to-one support where needed. Resources are provided for children in receipt of additional funding, which meet their particular needs, helping them to reach their full potential.

Outdoor space

Children suggested a garden centre in the outdoor area, which staff have developed. Children become highly engaged in planting, digging in soil and watering the plants. Staff also provide opportunities for children to make marks outside, using paintbrushes with water to paint on the wall.

Parent Reviews of Tiny Tinkers Nursery

5.0
(7)
Danielle Turner
a year ago

I highly recommend this nursery! I was so nervous like any parent would be sending my little one to nursery, this nursery was just newly opened when my son started so didn’t have much information in regards to the way it was ran and had very little feedback (the feed back they had was all positive) I was instantly made to feel at ease on the first day I met the manager Kelly and the staff I knew this was the right nursery. My son has grown so much in confidence and made so many new friends he truly loves going to Tiny tinkers! He even asks on his days off if he’s going to nursery. The communication from Tiny tinkers is fantastic they always keep parents regularly updated with pictures and journals of what they have been up to. They also let me know what he’s had for breakfast, lunch and how much he’s eaten upon collection (normally cleared his plate he loves nursery’s meals) They are such a lovely little nursery and I will be really sad to see him leave. Thank you for making my son’s first nursery experience an enjoyable, happy and safe one.

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Rebecca Richardson
a year ago

My one year old daughter has been attending tiny tinkers since May and she absolutely loves going there. All the staff were great in settling her in which did take a few sessions. After 6 morning sessions across two weeks she started to go in without crying, cuddling her teachers upon arrival and started to wave bye to me. She absolutely adores her teachers and as do I, they are all absolutely brilliant. You get regular updates and pictures which I absolutely love seeing and her development has come on leaps and bounds since she started. The manager Kelly is amazing and she would go above and beyond for anyone, the support she has given myself and Ayla is unbelievable and we can’t thank her and all the staff at tiny tinkers enough. I recommend this nursery so much, I preach about it to everyone I know with young children! ☺️

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Andrew Holland
2 years ago

My twins and Daenerys and Walker have attended Tiny Tinkers since mid April of 2023. They love spending time here and adore their teachers. Excellent communication and regular updates and photos are provided showing their progress and them engaging in many activities. Definitely recommend to anyone.

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Rachel Collinson
2 years ago

My son has recently started going here and I couldn't be happier with my choice of Nursery. We have been made to feel so welcome. The settle in sessions were fantastic and a great way to get him prepared for going. The ladies are just amazing with him and it's made a moment that I have been dreading into such a lovely positive experience. He's going to love going here each week.

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Sarah Rackstraw
2 years ago

I knew from our very first visit that Tiny Tinkers was where I wanted my girls to go. I can't speak highly enough of the girls and the environment they have created. I have always felt 100% comfortable leaving my girls there and they always come home smiling. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Tiny Tinkers Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: January 2025

  • July 2025Good
  • June 2025Good
  • February 2025Inadequate
  • January 2025Inadequate

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