Treehouse Pre-School

A boat in the garden became a starting point for shopping lists at Treehouse Pre-School: imaginative play gave children a reason to make marks. That March 2025 example captures the setting's character, with adults using children's interests to build learning into play.

At its 7 March 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Treehouse Outstanding, finding exceptional learning progress, substantial support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and effective safeguarding. Treehouse has 30 places in total; children attending in March 2025 were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play providing opportunities to practise communication, physical skills and problem-solving. In March 2025, children chose where and how to play, while staff shaped experiences around what each child needed to learn next.

Mixing pretend potions brought several skills together during that visit. Staff joined children's experiments, encouraging them to speak while pouring, stirring, bending and stretching. The garden boat prompted an imaginary shopping journey and a shared list. These were practical reasons to use language and early writing, rather than isolated exercises.

Indoors and outdoors, children pursued their ideas for sustained periods in March 2025. Adults extended play at a level children could understand, using questions and participation to help them work through problems.

In March 2025, familiar key people helped children manage emotions and relationships, including those experiencing recent difficulties. Information from parents and other carers shaped activities around children's interests and circumstances, giving staff a fuller picture of the child.

For children learning English alongside another language, staff used familiar home-language words, gestures, visual prompts and short English phrases during that visit. Children had time to process information before responding. Staff also worked with families and other professionals, adapting speech-and-language strategies while specialist referrals were pending.

Support extended beyond the setting in March 2025. Managers used additional funding to purchase bus passes for families, enabling learning experiences during school holidays. Staff helped parents with funding applications and sought their views about how the partnership could work better for each family. The management team's emphasis on improving practice connected these individual arrangements with the wider running of the preschool.

Treehouse's address is Winslow C of E Combined School, Lowndes Way, Winslow, Buckingham, MK18 3EN. In March 2025, the preschool occupied a building on that school site; a voluntary parent committee managed it.

During March 2025, opening hours were 8.50am to 3pm on weekdays, during school terms. Funded early education was offered for children aged two, three and four at that time. These are dated operating arrangements, useful for understanding the preschool's term-time character.

• Attendance pattern. The March 2025 opening window followed the school day and school terms. Which current booking pattern would fit your working hours and holiday arrangements?
• School-site distinction. Treehouse occupied a building on a school site in March 2025. Attending the preschool does not guarantee a Reception place.

Treehouse suits families drawn to interest-led play and closely individualised care. The March 2025 examples make that approach tangible: a garden boat led to writing, mixing activities encouraged speech, and family support reached into the holidays. Its term-time operating pattern at that visit is the practical point to weigh alongside the Outstanding judgement.