Hawthorn Tree Community Children's Centre

An acre of grounds, real weighing scales and children choosing what to investigate give Hawthorn Tree Community Children's Centre a recognisable character. This charitable Boston nursery combines HighScope, an approach built around children planning, doing and reviewing their activities, with practical materials that invite exploration. Pine cones, shells and wooden pieces have a place alongside the toys. The emphasis is on children taking an active part in their day.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with an ambitious curriculum and supportive relationships between children and adults. The current offer centres on The Nest, The Burrow and The Den.

There are 75 places in total. Nursery provision serves children from birth to four, with separate wraparound care for primary-school children aged four to 11. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside longer days, and funded hours can be spread over 48 weeks.

Rooms and Ages

The Nest serves babies from birth to 23 months, combining a visible sleeping area, a horseshoe feeding table and a light table with wooden shapes, so rest, feeding and exploration each have a physical place in the room.

For children aged two to four, The Burrow emphasises child-led exploration and independent thinking, with loose parts at its tinker station, vintage scales, construction materials and an art area offering several ways to develop an idea.

The Den also serves two- to four-year-olds, bringing sensory play, storytelling and music into a room with role-play spaces, world music instruments and an indoor climbing frame.

Children can move between The Burrow and The Den during the day, choosing activities across both rooms.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care, linking children's play with their growing communication, physical skills and independence. HighScope adds a daily Plan · Do · Review routine: children decide what to explore, carry out their ideas and then discuss the experience. The whole team receives training in this approach.

Pebbles, wood slices and vintage scales give children materials to arrange, compare and experiment with as their ideas develop.

In January 2023, activities included gluing a collage and experimenting with cereal through pouring and tipping. Adults linked activities to children's interests and developmental next steps. These examples show how everyday materials could bring hand control and conversation into the same activity.

The January 2023 inspection also identified a limitation: some interactions during freely chosen play and larger gatherings needed to do more to sustain and stretch children's learning. Occasionally, children lost interest and moved away from group activities. The improvement point concerns how adults develop the play, rather than simply which resources are present.

Outdoor and Community Life

An acre of grounds gives the purpose-built centre space for outdoor exploration alongside indoor activities.

In January 2023, outdoor experiences included bicycles and an obstacle course. Children worked together to repair a gap in the course, bringing problem-solving into their physical play. Adults encouraged fresh air and movement daily, taking account of differences in children's access to outdoor space at home.

For older children, Holiday Club combines themed activities with trips, cooking, crafts and outdoor experiences. These are part of the school-holiday childcare offer, rather than additions to the nursery curriculum.

Relationships and Communication

Each room has its own practitioner team and a lead-practitioner role, while support practitioners work across the rooms. Every child has a key person. That gives families a consistent relationship alongside the wider team caring for their child.

Settling takes place before the official start date. The initial short visit is free, with later settling sessions charged at the normal hourly rate. This creates a staged introduction rather than making the first booked session the child's first experience of the setting.

In January 2023, babies explored oats while adults modelled words and echoed their sounds. Children turned to familiar adults for reassurance and practised independence through snack choices and managing coats.

Communication in January 2023 included daily feedback and app updates about children's progress. Famly is now used for notices about changes to dates, giving families a named channel for practical updates.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO leads support for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Practitioners observe development and track learning to identify concerns, then work with families and relevant professionals. Speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists bring different kinds of support, from communication to movement and everyday skills.

The single-storey building has ramps, broad doorways and accessible toilets. Those features matter independently of any judgement about teaching: they make the physical setting easier to use for children with mobility needs.

Current arrangements include designated safeguarding roles and enhanced DBS checks. In January 2023, safeguarding practice included recruitment checks, ongoing supervision and procedures for reporting concerns.

Children bring a packed lunch for afternoon and full-day nursery sessions; milk or water and morning and afternoon snacks are supplied. The snack contribution is voluntary, including during funded sessions, and children help prepare foods such as toast, fruit and vegetables.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The Nest offers mornings from 9am to noon, afternoons from noon to 3pm and full days from 7.30am to 6pm; its charging options also include an eight-hour block from 7.30am to 3.30pm and a ten-hour block from 7.30am to 5.30pm.

The Burrow and The Den share the same morning and afternoon session times, with a core day from 9am to 3pm. Breakfast Club and After School Club extend that day, and the extended full-day option runs from 7.30am to 6pm.

Primary-school wraparound care includes Breakfast Club from 7.30am or 8am until 9am. After School Club begins at 3pm, with bookings ending at 4pm or 6pm. Children attending Hawthorn Tree Primary School are accompanied to school and collected afterwards.

Holiday Club runs from 7.30am to 6pm and can be booked hourly or for a full day. The centre closes on bank holidays and takes a two-week Christmas break. Nursery enquiries and show-around bookings can be made by telephone or through the contact form.

Getting There

The address is New Build Toot Lane, Boston, PE21 0PT. Parking is on the road beside the building, with yellow zig-zag markings outside the centre and school to be kept clear.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts the universal 15-hour entitlement from age three, the 15-hour entitlement for eligible two-year-olds and the 30-hour working-parent entitlement from nine months, subject to eligibility. Funding can be stretched across 48 weeks, and families can combine entitlement hours with additional paid hours.

Funded hours cover the session charge; the voluntary snack contribution remains separate. Packed lunches come from home for afternoon and full-day sessions. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charging structure outlined on its fees and funding page.

There is no registration charge. A deposit equivalent to one month's fees is required when the contract is signed, held and returned when the child leaves, subject to an offset against fees. Reducing or ending a place requires one month's notice in writing. Fees are payable monthly in advance and remain due during a child's illness or family holiday, except for the centre's own closures.

• Adult involvement in play. In January 2023, interactions in free play and larger groups were the improvement priority. During a show-around, ask how practitioners now sustain children's interest and develop their ideas.
• Choosing the older children's day. The Burrow and The Den have a 9am to 3pm core day, with clubs extending attendance. Discuss how the core session and extended care fit together for your child's routine.
• Lunch and everyday supplies. Afternoon and full-day nursery sessions require a packed lunch, while the snack contribution is voluntary. Ask which non-food supplies your child should bring and how any dietary needs will be managed.

Hawthorn Tree suits families who want morning or afternoon nursery sessions as well as those combining a core day with extended care. HighScope has a concrete daily routine here, and the real objects, connected older rooms and acre of grounds give children several ways to pursue an interest.

The January 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection baseline, balanced by the improvement priority around adult interactions.