Previously Bumble Bees Day Care
Ofsted Registration Number - EY290017
Our Setting
Tiny Explorers is situated in a purpose built facility within the heart of the village and opens daily Monday to Friday 0730-1800 hours throughout the year, except Bank holidays and the Christmas break (in line with the First school Christmas holidays). We are registered for up to 50 children aged 0-3 years and children may attend full time or for just a session as required.
Mrs Diane Bradbury is the Manager/Co-ordinator and Wendy Kinnaird is the Deputy Manager who are supported by a highly qualified team of practitioners. The ratios of 1 adult to 3 children for under 2 year olds and 1 to 4 for children over 2 is maintained at all times to ensure that your child will have lots of individual attention.
Tiny Explorers use the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum for supporting children in their earliest years: Promoting the overall development and education of children before they enter nursery and interaction and socialisation with other children of a similar age in an organised and well-supervised setting.
At Tiny Explorers we like to encourage a few overall aims for our children, the most important being the social skills they are going to need for the rest of their lives. These skills include sharing and caring, making friendships and tolerating others, communicating with others (talking an listening to each other), physical and imaginative skills.
We offer many areas in which we try to develop and encourage these skills through free play as well as structured play. Our areas include: Areas include two new creative areas, messy play area, baby room, soft play area, rest area and free flow soft surface and grassed garden area..
The building layout provides a warm secure feeling for the children whilst maintaining the room to move around and develop motor skills. A sleep room allows the children to rest when necessary and other areas are used for quiet or really messy activities. Your child will have the opportunity to explore new textures such as clay, dough or even soggy spaghetti! They will make new friends and begin to develop the skills necessary to interact with others outside their immediate family. But most importantly, they will have fun!
For children over two years we aim to encourage them to begin to develop their communication skills, to learn to count for themselves and to be more confident about their personal hygiene. Most importantly we aim to encourage them to be happy confident children ready for the next step up to Nursery. This is supported by familiarisation visits to the Nursery in the months before starting.
Outdoor Learning
We know that children benefit from learning in an outdoor environment. So in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), our outdoor areas include a soft surface area to ensure safe climbing and balancing and also a garden area where the children can explore for themselves and learn about growing and living things. We extend that by using the opportunities available in our local rural environment and we are fortunate to have a beach, a farm, countryside walks and parks nearby for our use.
Session Times
Morning Session - 0915am - 1315pm
School Day Sessions - 0915am - 1530pm
Full Day - 0730am - 1800pm
Full Week (5 Days) - 0730am - 1800pm
All sessions include a hot nutritious lunch prepared by the cook at Longhoughton first school.
Tiny Explorers was last inspected in November 2010, the inspection report noted:
Tiny Explorers is a well resourced facility, which provides a caring and well planned environment for the children.Staff are sensitive to the differing needs of each child, there is a close partnership between staff and parents to ensure that each child really benefits from their placement in this setting.
All children thrive and progress well as they participate in the many stimulating activities and projects that introduce new learning experiences as well as develop their existing skills. They are fully supported in the setting allowing them to settle and benefit from the staff's affectionate and calm approach to their care and learning.
If you have any questions or queries, please click here to contact us.
Tel: 01665 577390
Click here to e-mail
Opening Hours:
7.30am - 6.00pm Monday to Friday all year round except Bank Holidays and School Christmas Holidays
Emergency care is charged at an hourly rate
£25.00 registration fee for those not yet registered
A Retainer fee applies, to reserve a guaranteed future place