Treehouse Nursery, Cambridge Park

A Methodist church building, a large indoor soft play area and an emphasis on physical activity give Cambridge Park a recognisable character. This Wanstead nursery takes children from three months to five years and has 115 places in total. The indoor space adds another setting for active play alongside outdoor experiences.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 12 September 2025 inspection. The practical appeal is the combination of space for movement and everyday learning: making food, investigating small creatures and taking increasing responsibility for simple tasks featured in September 2025. There were also clear priorities for staff development, especially conversations with younger children and a deeper understanding of the curriculum.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for learning and care, encompassing children's development through experiences such as play, conversation and practical activities. In September 2025, stories and songs connected with curriculum themes, while a harvest topic included making soup from vegetables and talking afterwards about how it had been made. That gives children something concrete to discuss rather than relying only on an adult's explanation.

Small creatures became subjects for investigation using mini microscopes. Role play gave children opportunities to invent situations and interact with others. These are different ways into learning: close observation encourages questions, while imaginative play gives children a reason to exchange ideas.

The limitation concerned how consistently adults developed those ideas. In September 2025, some opportunities to stretch children's thinking were missed because staff's curriculum knowledge was uneven; younger children also needed more sustained verbal exchanges. For parents, the important distinction is between providing an interesting activity and using conversation to take learning further.

Outdoor and Community Life

Regular forest school visits featured in September 2025, giving children outdoor opportunities to practise balancing and climbing, explore nature and make decisions about manageable risks. Garden messy play added sensory exploration. The frequency was regular, rather than a specified weekly timetable.

STARS, a sustainable travel scheme promoting cycling, scooting and walking, features at Cambridge Park. Its practical relevance extends beyond the nursery day to how families travel together. The group-wide Healthy Early Years London scheme is also being worked towards: it addresses early health through themes including food, physical activity, oral health and development. This is work towards an award, rather than a completed accreditation.

At the September 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with additional needs effective, with adapted activities and external-agency involvement helping children make progress. Those mechanisms matter: support included changing an activity to make it accessible and bringing in targeted help, rather than expecting every child to participate in the same way.

In September 2025, babies received responsive attention and purposeful play, with familiar routines providing continuity. Older children practised small acts of self-care by pouring drinks, serving snacks and clearing their eating utensils. Independence was part of ordinary routines, rather than reserved for a separate activity.

Parent communication in September 2025 included newsletters, updates on learning and an app through which families could both receive information and send it back. Cultural celebrations also brought parents into nursery life. This combination offered several ways to maintain contact, including a route for information from home to reach staff.

Healthy meals were served in September 2025, with adults supervising eating and helping children consider food choices.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 25 Cambridge Park Road, Wanstead, E11 2PU. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with bank holidays and one week at Christmas excluded. That Christmas closure needs to sit alongside a family's work calendar when planning childcare.

In September 2025, the day's sessions ran from 7.30am to 6.30pm. The Cambridge Park contact form accepts enquiries and lets families select a preferred callback window, making it possible to arrange contact around other commitments.

Getting There

The nursery is 2 minutes’ walk from Wanstead underground tube Station. The church setting and nearby station are useful practical anchors for families considering the journey.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2025, the nursery offered government-funded childcare places. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation from the nursery.

• Younger children's conversations. September 2025 identified missed opportunities to develop early communication. On a visit, ask how practitioners build on babies' and toddlers' sounds, words and ideas during play.
• Curriculum development. Staff needed further targeted training in September 2025. Ask how that training now helps adults extend an activity when a child is ready for another challenge.
• The funded arrangement. Ask which funded entitlements and attendance patterns apply, and how meals and non-food consumables are handled within the proposed booking. A written breakdown makes the arrangement easier to assess.
• Christmas cover. The nursery closes for one week at Christmas as well as bank holidays. Families working through that period need to plan around the closure.

Cambridge Park suits families seeking year-round childcare with substantial indoor space for active play and an outdoor strand illustrated by regular forest school visits in September 2025. Its Good judgement provides a dated quality benchmark. The most useful visit conversation concerns how staff have strengthened interactions with younger children and their understanding of the curriculum, because those were the specific areas requiring further work.