The Family Tree Children's Day Nursery

A sensory room, visits to blooming lush and a yearly Christmas fayre give The Family Tree Children's Day Nursery a character that extends beyond its playrooms. Community involvement has practical substance here: families can take part in events, while children explore flowers at a local shop and bring growing activities back to nursery.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 11 December 2024 inspection and found safeguarding effective. That is a useful starting point, but the detail matters: the inspection also called for clearer staff understanding of planned learning and more consistent help with children's communication.

At 2 Police Houses, Churchill Street, Wallsend, NE28 7TG, the nursery has 82 places in total, accepting children from 2 months, with preschool provision extending to age 5. These are whole-nursery places, rather than the size of an individual room. Families can choose full days or half days, with term-time and year-round attendance options.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby room serves children aged 0 to 2, the Toddler room covers ages 2 to 3, and the Pre-school room covers ages 3 to 5. A separate Sensory room adds another space alongside those age-based rooms. The room bands describe the nursery's organisation; they do not replace its accepted starting age.

Infant Care emphasises sensory experiences and care shaped around the individual child; the Toddler Program uses play to develop thinking and social interaction; Preschool Education places greater emphasis on independence and social skills. This gives the stages different priorities rather than treating the day as one programme repeated for different ages.

In December 2024, babies practised coordination by moving toy vehicles along a track, toddlers explored quantity through sand play, and preschool children worked on controlling tools for making marks. These were concrete examples of learning through activity. The same visit also exposed a limitation: staff did not consistently understand the intended learning behind adult-led activities, reducing what children gained from them.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play supports communication, physical skills and growing independence. Alongside that framework, the nursery's curriculum includes early number work, literacy, creative art and movement.

Painting, drawing and craft give children ways to express ideas, while music classes, dance and cooking lessons add other experiences to the day. These are concrete activities rather than a separate branded educational system. For parents, the useful distinction is between the experiences children encounter and how deliberately staff use them to extend learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Garden activities, outdoor play equipment and nature walks form part of the current curriculum. They provide opportunities to explore surroundings and practise physical skills beyond the indoor rooms.

Visits to blooming lush involve looking at flowers and obtaining things to grow at nursery, connecting an outing with a continuing activity. The yearly Christmas fayre brings small businesses into the nursery's community celebrations. Neither needs an elaborate label to explain its value: children encounter people and experiences beyond their usual room.

Relationships and Communication

Famly is the communication app used for daily contact, photographs and updates on children's development. Parents can follow parts of the nursery day through it, giving them concrete starting points for conversations about what their child has been doing.

In December 2024, staff drew on their knowledge of family circumstances when helping children settle. They also made time to respond when children talked about experiences at home. That connection between home life and nursery routines matters most when a child is adjusting to care away from their family.

Everyday independence was another part of the December 2024 nursery day. Children practised feeding themselves and handling cutlery, alongside sharing meals and following group routines. Preparation for school therefore included managing ordinary tasks and being with other children, rather than concentrating solely on early writing.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found SEND support very effective, with staff involving parents and outside agencies to help children progress. Current support arrangements include staff with inclusive education training, cooperation with professionals and adaptations to the environment for individual needs. These are useful mechanisms for families whose child needs additional help.

The Sensory room had a specific purpose in December 2024: staff used it for interaction and communication work with children. However, communication support was not applied consistently enough across the nursery, and some children's language development was slowed. The room itself is only part of the answer; everyday staff practice matters too.

A foodbank was also operating in December 2024, allowing families to access food when needed. Current community support includes an hour of free childcare for parents attending a smear test. It is a narrowly defined offer with a practical purpose, rather than a general free-care arrangement.

Sessions and Attendance

Full days run from 7.30am to 6pm. Half days have two options: 7.30am to 12.30pm, or 12.30pm to 6pm. The nursery offers both term-time attendance and care across the year, with funded and privately paid arrangements; extra days can be added for families needing additional hours.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year and closes on bank holidays. The contact form provides an enquiry route and a way to arrange a visit.

Getting There

The address is 2 Police Houses, Churchill Street, Wallsend, NE28 7TG. There is a postcode discrepancy to resolve before travelling: the nursery's contact details also give Churchill Street, Howdon, NE28 7SZ.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government funding is offered from 9 months old. Funded sessions carry no consumable charges, and families can pay for additional attendance beyond their funded arrangement. Eligibility and the chosen attendance pattern remain separate from the fact that the nursery participates in funding.

Hot meals are an optional separate charge, with a packed lunch from home as the alternative. Meals and snacks are provided, while families choosing the packed-lunch option supply that lunch themselves.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. For families comparing costs, the important distinction is between funded childcare, additional private attendance and the optional hot-meal charge.

• Communication support. The December 2024 improvement priorities included more consistent strategies for children's language and clearer staff understanding of planned learning. During a visit, ask how these changes work in everyday play and adult-led activities, including outside the Sensory room.
• Your child's starting age. The accepted range begins at 2 months, while other nursery descriptions begin at 3 months or 6 months. Families seeking care for a very young baby should establish the applicable starting age before making arrangements.
• The correct destination. The nursery's address uses Churchill Street, NE28 7TG, while its contact details give Churchill Street, NE28 7SZ. Confirm the visit address before setting off.
• Meals and funded attendance. Funded sessions have no consumable charges, but hot meals are an optional paid extra and packed lunches are an alternative. A written quotation should distinguish the attendance pattern you want from your food choice.

The Family Tree suits families seeking either full-day care or half-day sessions, with term-time and year-round options adding useful choice. Famly updates, flower-shop visits and community events give parents concrete ways to understand the nursery's daily life and wider connections.

The Good judgement is supported by specific strengths in family relationships and inclusion, alongside clear December 2024 improvement priorities. For a child needing extra communication support, the decisive issue is how consistently that support now runs through the day. The Sensory room is a useful space; the quality of interaction beyond it deserves equal attention.