The Learning Tree Day Nursery

A converted chapel, a large garden and play built around children’s interests give The Learning Tree Day Nursery on Eckweek Road its character. Natural materials and resources that children can rearrange are central to the Peasedown St John setting. The emphasis is on following an idea, exploring it and letting staff extend the learning along the way.

At its 7 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding personal development, and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of every aspect of today’s provision.

The nursery has 37 places in total, with a current age range of 18 to 60 months. Full days, morning sessions and afternoon sessions offer different attendance patterns. The relationship between that age range and the baby-led Eckweek Road offer deserves attention before joining.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room takes children from six months to two years and has a quiet, cosy environment. Beyond the room, the converted chapel provides natural light, while loose parts give children materials to combine and use in their own ways. This is an approach built around exploration rather than a single predetermined use for each resource.

The garden extends the indoor space through free-flow access. Children can move between the two environments, with outdoor play continuing in different weather conditions. For a family choosing this setting, the physical offer is as much about access to fresh air and changing seasons as it is about the room itself.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care; here, play and children’s interests provide the starting point for learning. Planning in the moment means practitioners respond to what a child is doing, identifying an opportunity to develop an idea rather than relying entirely on activities chosen beforehand.

Real objects and loose parts support that approach. Children lead activities, while adults join their play sensitively and extend their thinking. The practical implication is that the same resource can support different ideas, rather than requiring every child to produce the same result.

In October 2022, children experimented with electrical connections embedded in play dough, trying different arrangements to activate a light and a sound box. Garden activities included using hammers and nails with wooden blocks. These examples show the hands-on character of the learning at that time: children could test an idea, make an adjustment and see what happened.

There was also an important limitation in October 2022. Adult-led activities did not consistently draw quieter children into the learning, and improving their involvement was the identified development priority. Families with a child who tends to watch before participating should give that point particular weight.

Outdoor and Community Life

Weekly Forest School activities add learning through outdoor exploration. The large garden supports climbing, balancing and parachute play, alongside growing flowers and vegetables from seed. Visits to the local park and countryside walks take exploration beyond the nursery grounds.

The nursery describes a link with Peasedown St John Primary School, including termly use of its conservation area for Forest School activities and opportunities for children approaching school age to meet others. Attendance does not guarantee a school place: families still use the local authority admissions process. The value of the link lies in familiarity and shared experiences, rather than an admissions advantage.

Relationships and Communication

Key persons form part of the nursery’s approach to helping children feel comfortable enough to explore and play. Online learning journals give parents a way to follow their child’s learning, connecting nursery experiences with family life rather than restricting communication to practical messages.

In October 2022, care routines followed arrangements from home, with spoken handovers and written daily information keeping parents involved. Staff used children’s interests shared by families to shape experiences. That exchange matters because a child’s preferences and routines do not stop at the nursery door.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found exceptionally strong support for children with SEND, including sensory resources for use at home and individual routines that helped children understand what would happen next. The concrete detail is useful: support involved both the nursery day and resources families could use beyond it.

In October 2022, a large sand timer helped children manage turns on the outdoor see-saw. It gave them a visible reference they could use themselves. That is a practical example of independence in social situations, with an object helping children understand waiting rather than leaving the task entirely to adult reminders.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Eckweek Road, Peasedown St John, BA2 8EQ, and the nursery can be contacted on 01761 431073. Full-day care runs from 8am to 6pm, mornings from 8am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm; an earlier 7.30am start is also offered.

Attendance outside a complete session is charged by the hour. Breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks carry additional charges when attendance is billed by the hour. Full fees remain payable during holidays taken by the family and absences caused by illness.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts funded childcare. Universal funding provides up to 15 hours per week from the term after the child’s third birthday. Working-family funding provides up to 30 hours per week for eligible families with children aged nine months and above, while eligible two-year-olds from families meeting income-related criteria can receive up to 15 hours per week. These are delivered during term time, over 38 weeks; entitlement depends on the relevant eligibility conditions.

Meals and snacks are included in complete private sessions, whereas hourly attendance attracts separate food charges. For funded hours, nursery meals and snacks are charged separately; funded-only afternoon sessions require parents to supply a suitable snack or tea.

For funded childcare, nursery-supplied nappies and wipes are optional charged extras, and nappy cream also appears within the consumables charge. Additional funded-place services include enrichment, outings, learning journals and settling sessions; purchasing these services is voluntary and is not a condition of accessing funded childcare. This distinction matters when comparing a funded-hours arrangement with an inclusive private session.

The non-refundable registration charge covers settling sessions, administration and a welcome pack containing a bag and water bottle. Its amount depends on whether the child starts within the month or a place is held for longer. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation, with the fees and terms providing the charging structure.

Funding-hour changes require written notice of one term and cannot be accommodated midway through a term. Families whose working arrangements change regularly should factor that restriction into their choice.

• Age and site arrangements. The baby room serves children from six months to two years, while the current whole-setting age range is 18 to 60 months. Before joining, ask which room and site would care for your child and how a move between stages works.
• Quieter children. In October 2022, improving participation in adult-led activities was the development priority. During a visit, ask how practitioners involve children who prefer to observe before joining in.
• The funded-hours package. Food, consumables and additional services have separate charging arrangements, with additional services voluntary. Compare the written quotation with the funded-only afternoon arrangement, including what your family would provide.

The Learning Tree suits families drawn to child-led play, natural resources and regular outdoor learning, whether they want full days or shorter morning and afternoon sessions. The converted chapel and garden give that approach a concrete setting; weekly Forest School and the primary-school conservation-area link extend it beyond indoor play.

The October 2022 assessment provides a positive quality reference, alongside a specific weakness in engaging quieter children. The decisive joining point is how the baby-room offer and current age range translate into the room and site your child would actually attend.