The Learning Tree Pre School

A large classroom opening directly onto outdoor space gives The Learning Tree Pre School at Timebridge Centre its practical appeal: children can move between indoor play and a larger area outside. This is a community-building setting on the Fieldway estate in New Addington, with 48 places in total and a term-time offer.

At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good, found safeguarding effective and praised the support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The detail behind that judgement matters: conversation, books and practical making featured strongly, while more precise individual planning and greater consistency in encouraging independence remained improvement priorities.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning and development, covering areas such as language, physical development and understanding the world. Here, the open-plan classroom and direct outdoor access give that learning an indoor and outdoor setting rather than confining it to one space.

In October 2024, books were accessible outside as well as indoors, and children could borrow them to share with their families. That connects early reading with home life: a book explored at pre-school can become something to talk about together later. Conversation also ran through imaginative play, with adults joining children rather than leaving language learning to a separate activity.

Practical tasks demanded concentration. During October 2024, children tapped small pins through wooden shapes into cork, worked out ways to join pieces of wood and made dough spiders using sticks and movable eyes. These were opportunities to handle materials, solve a small problem and persist with a task. Circle-time objects also helped draw children's attention and encourage listening.

Outdoor and Community Life

Free-flow access to the large outdoor area is a useful feature for children who enjoy moving between different kinds of play. The classroom and outdoor space are connected parts of the setting, giving families a concrete reason to consider this branch.

In October 2024, outdoor activity included movement games directed by pretend traffic signals. Children practised responding to instructions while being physically active. Time outside was part of the day's experience, alongside the quieter concentration involved in books and making activities.

The Timebridge team includes designated safeguarding and SENDCO responsibilities, with paediatric first-aid training also identified among staff training. Those roles give families clear points of responsibility for discussing welfare or additional needs; they are arrangements, rather than a substitute for the dated inspection judgement.

In October 2024, staff identified gaps in learning and used targeted help and funding to support children needing additional assistance. Parents had termly meetings with key staff, providing a scheduled opportunity to discuss learning and ways to continue it at home. Relationships between adults and children were another important part of that inspection-time experience.

Independence was less consistent. During October 2024, children had opportunities to choose fruit and pour drinks, but adults sometimes took over tasks such as opening packed lunches or wiping noses. The useful distinction is between making a task possible for a child and doing it for them. Families should weigh that improvement priority alongside the positive account of children's engagement.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Timebridge Centre, Fieldway, New Addington, CR0 9AZ. The branch operates during term time and welcomes children from two to five years. This calendar suits families whose childcare needs follow school terms, but it needs to fit the household's arrangements during holidays too.

In October 2024, opening hours were 9.15am to 2.45pm on weekdays. Those are dated opening hours, rather than a description of separate bookable morning or afternoon patterns. For enquiries, the Timebridge telephone number is 07917 107684 and the email address is Learning-tree@outlook.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Timebridge accepts Early Years funding and operates a term-time offer. In October 2024, funded early education supported children aged two, three and four. Eligibility should not be confused with a guaranteed place or a particular attendance arrangement.

• Individual learning plans. October 2024 brought a recommendation to make each child's next learning steps more precise. At a visit, ask how staff now choose and review the next steps for your child, rather than discussing the curriculum only in general terms.
• Doing things independently. Adults sometimes completed manageable personal-care and lunch tasks for children in October 2024. Ask how practitioners support a child to try first, especially when confidence or self-care is a priority.
• Term-time fit. Timebridge's calendar follows school terms, and its October 2024 opening day ended at 2.45pm. Which current attendance arrangement would fit your weekly commitments and holiday care plans?

The Learning Tree Pre School suits families seeking a term-time pre-school experience with a large shared classroom and direct access to outdoor play. Its October 2024 strengths were concrete: books to take home, conversation woven into play and practical tasks that held children's attention.

The balanced decision rests on individual planning and independence as well as those strengths. Families who value language-rich play have good reasons to consider Timebridge; the most useful visit discussion is how staff turn a child's interests into precise next steps and help them take more responsibility for everyday tasks.