White Tree Preschool

An upstairs church hall, an enclosed garden and learning shaped around children's interests give White Tree Preschool a recognisable character. This Westbury Park setting combines play with small steps towards independence: choosing activities, managing belongings and learning to take responsibility. It has capacity for 26 children and welcomes children aged 2 to 4.

Ofsted rated the preschool Outstanding at its January 2023 inspection. The strongest practical appeal is the connection between home and preschool: a key person follows each child's development, parents can contribute to an online learning diary, and additional support is planned with families rather than separately from them.

Attendance is term-time, with morning and afternoon sessions alongside all-day attendance from Monday to Thursday and a Friday morning option.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the foundation for children's learning through play, covering communication, physical skills, relationships and the beginnings of literacy and mathematics. White Tree builds activities around children's interests within that framework. An All about Me form introduces staff to a child's preferences; later Special Interests forms help planning keep pace as those preferences change. A fascination with dinosaurs, for example, can become a reason to practise cutting rather than a theme that sits apart from learning.

THRIVE is the preschool's statement of values, emphasising independence, respect, emotional security and persistence. Its practical purpose is to encourage children to try things, express feelings and consider other people. It is a set of aims alongside the EYFS, rather than a replacement for it.

In January 2023, staff gave children time to investigate and used questions to extend their thinking. A science activity involving raisins, lemonade and water prompted children to notice how bubbles affected movement. Elsewhere, adults joined pretend kitchen play and helped other children participate.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily outdoor play is part of the preschool's routine. Garden equipment includes a climbing frame with a slide, a play house and a large sand pit. Water and sensory exploration have their own space; another area accommodates balls and ride-on play. These are different kinds of play, from close investigation to larger movements. The upstairs hall also gives children an indoor base, and a supervised rest area is offered to children who need an afternoon nap.

Outdoor Learning trips are based on the Forest School ethos, adding exploration beyond the preschool to its garden provision. Parents can accompany these outings. The trips are covered by the Annual Contribution, with exemptions for children holding a two-year funded place or receiving Early Years Pupil Premium funding.

In January 2023, community experiences included regular visits to a residential home and an interest-led trip to a dentist. School photographs, uniforms and visits from teachers helped children explore the next stage of education.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who oversees their care, follows their learning and builds a relationship with the family. Other practitioners support that relationship, so information about a child is shared within the team. This supports continuity across different attendance patterns.

Settling is adjusted to the child's response. Home and settling visits are offered, and the preschool works with parents on the pace of separation. The settling policy allows brief periods apart to build towards a complete session; if a child remains very distressed and cannot settle, parents are contacted to return.

The Interactive Learning Diary lets parents see learning records, comment on them and add observations from home. A downloadable copy can be kept when a child leaves. Informal conversations, meetings and an end-of-year written report provide other ways to follow development. Parents can talk to children about their occupation or accompany an Outdoor Learning trip. Family involvement extends beyond receiving updates.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SEND co-ordinator works with the key person, family and outside agencies to organise additional provision. Children needing extra support have an Individual Education Plan reviewed each term; some have a more detailed Support Plan. Speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and the Bristol Autism Team are among the services with which the preschool liaises. These mechanisms give families specific routes for discussing needs and reviewing what is working.

Makaton and visual aids support choices, transitions and expectations. Children with an ongoing medical condition have a Health Care Plan developed with parents, and all practitioners hold paediatric first-aid qualifications. The team also includes early years teachers, graduate practitioners and an Under 3's Co-ordinator, bringing separate responsibilities for learning and younger children's care.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found highly effective support for children with SEND, exceptional progress among children learning English as an additional language, and effective safeguarding arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

White Tree Preschool operates at Westbury Park Methodist Church, 4 North View, Westbury Park, Bristol, BS6 7QB. It opens during term time, from 9.15am to 3pm on Monday to Thursday and from 9.15am to 12.15pm on Friday.

Morning sessions run from 9.15am to 12.15pm; afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 3pm. Lunch club bridges the gap, running from 12.15pm to 1pm, and all-day attendance is offered Monday to Thursday. Friday is a morning-only day.

Contact is by telephone on 07804 269 289 or email at whitetree_preschool@yahoo.co.uk. Visits can be arranged by calling. The preschool occupies the upper floor, and access to both its hall and garden involves stairs. Wheelchair access reaches the courtyard entrance, but does not extend to the first floor; a disabled toilet is on the ground floor, with grab rails in the upstairs toilets.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes Universal (15 hours), Extended (30 hours) and eligible two-year-old provision. Universal funding provides up to 15 hours per week and extended funding up to 30 hours per week, each for 38 weeks per year; extended funding requires an HMRC code and is subject to review. Lunch club can be included within funded hours. Paid childcare is also offered, and current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

An Annual Contribution covers morning snacks and Outdoor Learning trips; children with a two-year funded place or Early Years Pupil Premium funding are exempt. Lunch-club children bring a packed lunch and drink, while morning snacks include fruit, vegetables or carbohydrates with a drink. Families provide nappies and spare clothing when needed, and apply sunblock before a session if required, including when attending funded provision.

Fees are paid at the beginning of each term and remain payable during absences. Removing a child before school age requires written notice covering one term, or payment in its place.

White Tree describes close links with Westbury Park School and other local schools to support transition. Attending preschool does not guarantee a school place: families still use the local authority admissions process. For children with additional needs, the preschool liaises with the receiving setting's SEND co-ordinator to pass on support information.

• Stairs to the preschool and garden. First-floor wheelchair access is unavailable, and outdoor access also involves stairs. At a visit, discuss the practical arrangements your child would need for both spaces.
• An afternoon finish and term-time calendar. All-day attendance ends at 3pm, while Friday ends at 12.15pm. Consider how these hours and school-holiday breaks fit your family's care arrangements.
• Food and the Annual Contribution. Snacks and Outdoor Learning trips are covered by a separate contribution, with specified funding exemptions; lunch comes from home. If your child has an allergy, confirm the current snack and packed-lunch arrangements before starting.
• A term's notice. Fees remain payable through absences, and leaving before school age requires a term's written notice or payment instead. Read those commitments alongside the sessions you intend to book.

White Tree suits families seeking morning preschool, afternoon sessions or all-day attendance within a term-time routine. Its appeal rests on concrete arrangements: interest-led planning, outdoor play, an Interactive Learning Diary that parents can contribute to, and a defined process for additional support.

The January 2023 Outstanding judgement gives that offer substantial inspection backing, while the practical limits are clear. Stairs affect accessibility, the day finishes at 3pm, and Friday is shorter. For families whose needs fit that timetable and building, this is a preschool with a strong connection between children's play, family knowledge and preparation for moving on.