The Learning Tree Pre-school

An outdoor area of its own and a separate space inside Rowdown Primary School give The Learning Tree Pre-school a clear identity: early years provision on a school site, with a relationship to the next stage of nursery education. This New Addington setting welcomes children aged two to three and has 28 places in total. The school connection deserves attention alongside the childcare itself.

At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. The strongest examples from that period were practical: children explored changes in the weather, developed hand control through play and learnt to manage everyday tasks themselves. These are dated observations, rather than a description of today's activities. Current opening hours are 8.45am to 2.45pm during term time.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning and development, covering seven areas that bring together communication, physical development and other early skills. For parents, that means education at this age extends beyond early reading or counting to how children move, interact and become more independent.

In February 2022, activities connected small physical actions with later learning. Children cut pasta and worked scented dough before trying marks and drawings on paper. A spider drawing led into counting legs and searching for spiders outdoors. The sequence matters: an interest could become an opportunity to practise hand movements, notice shapes and use numbers, rather than remain an isolated craft activity.

Curiosity also had everyday starting points in February 2022. Children helped reproduce their artwork using a photocopier, giving technology a concrete purpose. A sudden hailstorm prompted exploration of collected hailstones. Both examples connected children's curiosity with something concrete to investigate.

Outdoor and Community Life

The pre-school has its own outdoor area, accessed from its separate provision within the main school building. Outdoor play therefore has a physical space belonging to the setting, alongside its indoor accommodation.

In February 2022, children used balance beams and bicycles, explored puddles and played chasing games. Everyday responsibility was part of that outdoor experience too: children helped dry equipment following rain. These examples combine movement with participation in caring for shared resources. They also show why practical clothing can matter as much as readiness for table activities.

Support starts with identifiable roles. The current team includes a safeguarding lead, a SENCO lead and a behaviour co-ordinator lead, giving families points of responsibility for protection, additional learning needs and behaviour. These roles describe the arrangements in place; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the inspection above.

At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that the curriculum built on children's interests and existing skills, and that the SENCO effectively secured additional help, with parents closely involved in reviewing children's progress. The useful detail is the mechanism: outside advice informed teaching, and support was reviewed rather than treated as a single intervention.

In February 2022, children having difficulty leaving their parents received individual attention before becoming involved in play. Familiar home routines also influenced care. Family photographs gave children something recognisable to discuss, while staff encouraged them to talk about important people, experiences and feelings. For a young child, continuity between home and pre-school can make new routines easier to understand.

Small acts of independence featured in February 2022 too. Children persisted with putting coats on hooks, prepared fruit and practised feeding themselves with adult help. Toilet-training successes were acknowledged. These examples put self-care alongside learning activities, recognising that managing a coat or expressing a feeling is part of the nursery day.

Sessions and Attendance

The Learning Tree Pre-school operates during term time, with opening hours of 8.45am to 2.45pm. That is a clear daily window for planning care, and the term-time arrangement is central to deciding whether it fits the family calendar.

Getting There

The address is Rowdown Primary School, Calley Down Crescent, New Addington, Croydon, CR0 0EG. Telephone and email enquiries go directly to the Rowdown setting.

Funding and Moving On

Early years funding is accepted at this branch. Its age offer is two to three years, so the relationship with the school nursery is an important part of the practical picture.

The pre-school describes a close relationship with Rowdown Primary School and children moving to the school's nursery in the term following their third birthday. This describes the intended next stage, rather than an admissions entitlement: attendance does not guarantee a school place, including Reception, and families must use the local authority admissions process for a state school place.

• Term-time timetable. Opening hours run from 8.45am to 2.45pm during term time. Families needing holiday care or a later finish should weigh that timetable against their working arrangements.
• The next nursery stage. The stated move to Rowdown Primary School's nursery follows a child's third birthday. Discuss the transition arrangements during a visit, keeping nursery progression separate from Reception admissions.
• Home languages and backgrounds. In February 2022, some children had fewer chances to see their own backgrounds and languages represented in play. A useful visit question is how the setting now includes each family's language and experiences in activities.
• Care across settings. In February 2022, communication with other childcare settings was less developed than the school connection, limiting continuity in learning. Families combining providers should discuss how staff exchange information about their child.

The Learning Tree Pre-school suits families seeking term-time early education for a two- or three-year-old, with an outdoor area of its own and a stated progression to the school nursery. Its February 2022 examples give substance to the Good judgement: everyday curiosity, practical independence and learning developed through connected activities.

The decision turns on the school-site relationship and the timetable. For families whose arrangements fit those opening hours, this offers a clearly defined early years stage; the transition plans and the two improvement priorities deserve attention when visiting.