The Learning Tree Nursery

A vegetable patch and decking used for stories and picnics give The Learning Tree Nursery’s Sutton Two setting a recognisable outdoor character. Based in a converted house across two floors, this Kirkby Road nursery separates children into age groups and extends their experiences through regular outings to the park and library. The appeal is practical: different spaces for different stages, with opportunities to explore beyond the building.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its inspection on 12 July 2023. The setting accepts children aged 0 to 60 months and has 46 places in total. Those places describe the nursery’s overall capacity, rather than the number of children sharing an activity or room.

The strongest thread through its daily life is hands-on exploration. In July 2023, babies experimented with water and sponges, while older children picked peas and investigated their taste. There was a clear challenge alongside that activity: adults sometimes stepped in with answers before children had enough time to work things out themselves.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care. In parent terms, this connects play and everyday routines with learning to communicate, explore and become more independent; it is the baseline for provision rather than an extra programme.

In July 2023, sensory play gave babies something concrete to investigate. Washing dolls involved soap, creams and sponges, with adults demonstrating how a sponge absorbed water before encouraging children to experiment. This made an ordinary play activity a chance to explore materials and try different techniques.

Language also ran through the day at that time. Adults described activities to the youngest children and repeated children’s sentences with clearer pronunciation. Conversation therefore accompanied what children were doing, rather than being confined to a separate language activity.

The important qualification concerns adult intervention. In July 2023, staff sometimes solved problems too quickly, reducing children’s opportunities to develop their own thinking. For parents, the useful distinction is between offering a helpful prompt and taking over the task: the activities provided opportunities to investigate, but children needed more time to use them independently.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor area combines a vegetable patch with decking, unmown grass and tarmac. Stories and picnics take place on the decking, giving the garden a role beyond active play. The different surfaces also make this more than a single-purpose playground.

In July 2023, children used the garden daily. Climbing equipment and raised stumps supported physical play, while chalk encouraged large movements as children made patterns on the ground. Bubble play involved experimenting with mixtures and different ways of producing bubbles. These examples show outdoor time being used for investigation as well as movement.

Growing food connected the garden with lunch in July 2023. Children opened pea pods, guessed how many peas they contained and discussed their taste; the cook used produce grown by the children in meals. That brought counting, food preparation and tasting into the same experience.

Regular trips include the park and library, and the nursery has a partnership with the local Sure Start Centre. These links extend children’s experiences beyond the nursery’s own rooms and garden. The outings are regular, rather than tied to a stated weekly timetable.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. These are dated judgements about the provision at that time.

Settling was responsive to individual children in July 2023. Staff took account of children who needed longer to adjust or preferred particular adults, including when moving between rooms. That matters because a room change can require its own adjustment, rather than simply following an age-based timetable.

Communication with parents extended beyond a brief account of the day in July 2023. Families received progress updates and ideas for activities at home that built on children’s learning. This gave parents a practical way to continue an interest or skill outside nursery hours.

Preparation for school also used everyday independence in July 2023: preschool children got ready for outdoor play and served their own dinner. Visiting teachers helped children begin relationships before moving on. These were transition activities, rather than a claim to an admissions advantage.

The address is 200 Kirkby Road, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 1GP. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year and closes on bank holidays, so families should distinguish its opening window from the attendance arrangement they intend to book.

The branch telephone number is 01623 552 144, and its email address is learningtree2@aol.com. These provide direct contact with Sutton Two rather than another Learning Tree location.

In July 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Families considering a funded arrangement should use the charging question below to understand how their intended attendance would work financially. Current prices should come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Time to solve problems. The July 2023 improvement point concerned adults intervening too quickly. On a visit, ask how practitioners now give children time to attempt a solution before offering help.
• A house across two floors. Children are separated into age groups within a converted house. Ask to see how your child’s group uses its indoor space and reaches the outdoor area during the day.
• Attendance and funded costs. Opening hours run from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, and funded provision was recorded in July 2023. Ask for one written breakdown covering your intended booking pattern, current funded entitlement, additional hours, meals and non-food consumables.

The Learning Tree Nursery suits families who value age-grouped spaces, growing food and regular experiences beyond the nursery, alongside weekday care across the year. Its garden has several uses, from stories on the decking to investigating what grows in the vegetable patch.

The July 2023 picture combines practical independence and responsive settling with a specific teaching improvement: giving children longer to find their own answers. That is the most useful point to explore when assessing how the nursery’s day would work for your child.