The Treehouse Club Forestry Nursery & Out Of School Club, Ingrave

An allotment at St Nicholas Hall gives this Ingrave preschool a concrete connection between outdoor exploration and everyday food. Children plant fruit, flowers and vegetables, then help harvest and prepare produce for snacks. Walks through the local woods add wildlife spotting to the day. Nature is something children work with here.

The Treehouse Club accepts children from two years and has 30 places in total. At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. The strongest practical attraction is the combination of woodland activity, growing space and a term-time preschool routine, rather than the broader childcare offer suggested by the setting’s full name.

Morning, afternoon and School Day sessions serve different family schedules, with a minimum attendance across two days and a requirement to combine morning and afternoon experiences.

Learning and Activities

EYFS is the educational foundation: children build language, physical skills and early understanding through play and everyday experiences. Forest School adds learning outdoors through exploration of the natural surroundings. At Ingrave, that means woodland walks and working in the allotment, rather than simply treating outside time as a break between indoor activities.

In July 2022, children investigated water by filling bottles, comparing containers and testing which objects stayed afloat. These were practical ways to explore quantity and measurement: children could change the materials and see what happened. Another activity involved cutting out the letters in their names and putting them into order, bringing early writing and careful hand movements together.

Conversation also shaped learning in July 2022. Staff asked questions that encouraged children to explain their thinking and try new vocabulary. Stories introduced the different jobs of an author and an illustrator. The useful distinction for parents is the emphasis on understanding and talking about an activity, alongside taking part in it.

Outdoor and Community Life

The hall has trees and green space around it, while the local woods provide paths to explore and wildlife to notice. The allotment makes growing food tangible: planting, watching growth and picking produce form connected experiences. Children can follow what happens to something they have helped grow.

Outdoor participation needs preparation. The daily kit includes spare clothes, boots and plimsolls, with sun cream when the weather calls for it; winter clothing includes a waterproof coat, gloves and a hat. These are practical requirements for a preschool that uses its surroundings as part of learning.

Essentials & Extras is an optional paid service alongside funded hours. Its enrichment includes Forest School sessions, cooking, baking and gardening, plus seasonal activities. Children whose families decline those enrichment activities receive alternative EYFS learning using other materials and approaches. The educational foundation continues whichever option a family chooses.

In July 2022, children turned to staff when they needed help, shared equipment and listened to one another. Staff recognised effort, and children kept working at activities that interested them. These observations give a useful picture of relationships at that date, rather than a promise about every child’s experience today.

Independence was the improvement priority in July 2022. Adults did not consistently equip children to manage tasks themselves: drinking jugs, for example, were not always small enough for children to use successfully. That is a meaningful point for families weighing school preparation. Encouraging a child to try needs to be matched by tools they can handle.

The Ingrave practitioner role includes responsibility as a key person and updating children’s learning journals. Each child has an online journal for parents to follow their day, giving families a connection with experiences they have not shared in person. In July 2022, communication with parents included information about children’s learning and experiences.

School preparation in July 2022 included following instructions, looking after personal needs and sharing resources. Health routines included handwashing before food and conversations about tooth cleaning. These are ordinary daily skills with practical value when children move into a new routine.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Saint Nicholas Church Hall, School Lane, Ingrave, CM13 3RB. Opening hours are 9.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time.

AM sessions run from 9.30am to 12.30pm, PM sessions from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and the School Day session from 9.30am to 3.30pm. Bookings must cover at least two days each week. Families can combine AM and PM sessions, choose School Days, or mix those options; attendance consisting entirely of mornings or entirely of afternoons is not offered.

That requirement matters more than the headline choice of sessions. A family seeking short sessions needs a timetable that includes both parts of the preschool routine. The branch has an enquiry form and can be contacted on 01277 297 024.

Funding and Paid Extras

The setting offers 15 hours and 30 hours of childcare funding, subject to eligibility. Funding operates during term time and applies to complete sessions, rather than part of a session. Families do not have to take their entire entitlement or buy extra childcare to access funding; hours beyond the entitlement in their chosen sessions are privately charged.

Parents supply food: the AM session needs a morning snack and lunch, the PM session an afternoon snack, and a School Day both snacks and lunch. Food must meet the preschool’s food policy.

Parents also supply nappies, wipes and creams when needed, plus sun cream in warmer weather. Consumables used for enrichment, such as art and sensory materials, are included in privately paid hours; during funded hours they are covered by the separately charged, voluntary Essentials & Extras service, with the option to provide items instead.

Essentials & Extras is not a condition of receiving funded childcare, and there are no top-up fees for the funded hours themselves. Families make their opt-in or opt-out choice each term. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation, so the useful comparison is between the chosen attendance pattern and the services included with it.

• Mixed attendance requirement. The two-day minimum also requires both morning and afternoon experiences. Before booking, work through how a combination of short sessions or School Days fits your weekly commitments.
• Independence in practice. In July 2022, children needed more opportunities and suitable equipment to do things themselves. During a visit, ask how staff now support pouring drinks and other everyday tasks.
• Outdoor preparation. Woodland walks and allotment activity make spare clothes and seasonal kit part of the routine. Ask how a child who is hesitant about outdoor activity is introduced to it during settling.
• Funded extras and packed food. Parents provide food and personal care items, while Essentials & Extras is voluntary for funded hours. Review the termly choice against what your family will supply and which optional activities you want.

This preschool suits families seeking term-time care through a mixture of morning and afternoon sessions, School Days, or a combination of both. Its woodland walks and allotment give the outdoor approach a clear local shape, while the packed-food model gives parents responsibility for snacks and lunch.

The July 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference. For a decision today, the most useful visit discussion is how the preschool combines outdoor exploration with growing independence in everyday tasks.