Tiddlywinks Pre School (Bessacarr)
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Doncaster for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 2010, with 32 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Doncaster
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Doncaster from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DN4 5NWWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 20 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders and managers have devised a clear curriculum to help children to develop a range of skills as they grow and develop. Children are warmly greeted by the staff, resulting in most of them happily and confidently entering the pre-school.
Babies are supported to develop secure attachments to staff. During outside play, babies enjoy seeing their older siblings. Their faces light up when their siblings come over to say hello. Children are encouraged to use good manners and to behave well. Staff help them to recognise the core emotions of when they are sad, angry and happy. Children remain safe. The premises are securely maintained and staff follow safeguarding procedures to ensure that children remain protected from potential harm.
Popular books are shared with children throughout the pre-school, with staff planning interesting activities to further enhance children's learning. For example, after reading 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' story to the older children, staff plan an interactive activity which is differentiated to suit the needs and abilities of each child. The oldest children are encouraged to complete simple addition and subtraction sums using fruit associated with the story. Younger children are encouraged to count out the correct number of fruits. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are encouraged to identify a named fruit between two different choices. Children remain engaged for a good length of time as their interest is successfully sustained by staff.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consider how routine daily events are organised so that staff continue to provide all children with quality interactions which enhance their independence skills n help staff to consistently include the range of targeted communication and language strategies identified for children with SEND, in their free play.
- 20 May 2024Good
- 25 June 2018Good
- 11 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tiddlywinks Pre School (Bessacarr)
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.