Tall Trees Day Nursery

Garden access links the two classes at Tall Trees’ High Street nursery, while preparation for school sits alongside exploration and play. Willow Class has an open room and outdoor equipment; Rowan Class combines literacy, numeracy and growing independence with movement between indoors and the garden. These are useful differences for parents weighing what their child’s day will involve.

Tall Trees Day Nursery takes children from 10 months to 5 years at Reigate Methodist Church, High Street, Reigate, RH2 9AE, and has 48 places in total. Ofsted rated it Good on 27 September 2023 and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. That assessment belongs to the nursery at that date.

The inspection’s practical detail matters as much as the grade. Children experimented with materials, talked about their experiences and learnt to manage everyday tasks. There were also two clear priorities: staff needed a fuller understanding of their key children’s circumstances, and children needed more help understanding safety when using digital technology. Both deserve attention when choosing the nursery.

Rooms and Ages

Willow Class combines an open space for exploration with garden access during the day, where outdoor equipment supports physical activity. The arrangement gives children opportunities to change the setting of their play rather than keeping their experiences within one room.

Rowan Class emphasises early literacy, numeracy and independence, with children able to move between the room and garden throughout the day. Preparation for school therefore includes managing more for themselves alongside developing early reading and number skills.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children’s learning, development and care: its practical purpose is to connect learning through play with children’s developing skills and everyday needs. In September 2023, younger children explored impressions made in dough with pine cones and forks, while older children discussed sandcastle building as they played. Familiar materials gave children something concrete to investigate and talk about.

During the same month, drawing faces with chalk became an opportunity to discuss feelings. Staff asked children to consider the emotions of the faces they had drawn, linking creative activity with words for their own feelings. This was learning through conversation rather than a separate lesson about emotions.

High Street activities have also connected cultural topics with direct experiences. In May 2024, Willow Class tried Indian cuisine during its Asia topic. An African Drumming experience followed in October 2024 as part of learning about Africa. Food and music gave those topics a practical dimension, although these were dated activities rather than a promise of a recurring timetable.

Outdoor and Community Life

In September 2023, community outings included feeding ducks and nature walks, extending children’s experiences beyond the nursery premises. The garden, meanwhile, is part of the current description of both High Street classes. Outdoor activity is therefore supported by the room arrangements as well as the earlier examples of outings.

Willow Class’s babies went bird spotting in February 2025. In May 2025, Rowan Class watched chicks hatch and then held and cared for them. These examples connect observation with living things: children had opportunities to notice birds and experience caring for newly hatched chicks, rather than encountering animals only through pictures or stories.

Relationships and Communication

Settling at High Street is flexible, with parents able to remain alongside their child for as long as needed. That gives families a way to approach the change gradually, rather than treating separation as something that must happen immediately.

In September 2023, staff tracked their key children’s development to plan learning, but sometimes lacked important information about individual circumstances. The improvement priority was therefore about the depth of staff knowledge, rather than simply whether children had a key person. For a family, the practical issue is how home circumstances, changing needs and information shared with staff become part of everyday care.

Communication worked in both directions at that time. Staff discussed children’s development with parents and offered ideas for continuing learning at home; parents were encouraged to contribute their own observations. This gave planning a connection to children’s experiences outside nursery, while leaving the key-person weakness as a separate issue to address.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that collaboration with parents, the local authority and specialists supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including help with physical development. The useful detail is the involvement of people already supporting a child, rather than a general promise about inclusion.

Daily independence was visible in September 2023 too. Older children served lunch and practised using cutlery with staff assistance, while reminders about handwashing linked care routines with looking after their bodies. Staff also intervened when toys were thrown and gave advance warning before tidying up, helping children understand expectations and prepare for changes in activity.

Digital safety was the other improvement priority in September 2023. Nursery devices had safety measures, but children needed more opportunities to understand possible risks themselves. Keeping equipment safe and teaching children about safe use were separate responsibilities.

The High Street setting is at Reigate Methodist Church, High Street, Reigate, RH2 9AE. Its opening hours are 8am to 6pm. Families can contact this branch on 01737221718 or use admin@talltreesdaynurseryreigate.co.uk.

A Reigate High Street Viewing can be requested through the nursery’s booking service and lasts 45 minutes. The branch name matters when arranging contact, as Tall Trees also has other Reigate locations. Selecting High Street keeps the discussion centred on Willow Class, Rowan Class and this setting’s arrangements.

• Key-person knowledge. In September 2023, staff sometimes lacked information about children’s individual circumstances. Ask how updates from home are shared and how the key person maintains a complete understanding of your child’s needs.
• Digital safety. The September 2023 priority was to help children understand risks when using technology, alongside precautions for nursery devices. Ask what children now learn about safe use and how those ideas are introduced at their age.
• Settling at High Street. Parents can stay with their child for as long as needed, and a High Street viewing lasts 45 minutes. Use that visit to discuss how the flexible settling arrangement would work for your child and how the move towards separation is agreed.

Tall Trees suits families looking for garden access alongside room-based play, with Rowan Class placing an explicit emphasis on independence and early literacy and numeracy. Its High Street activities have included bird spotting, drumming and caring for chicks, giving parents concrete examples of experiences beyond routine room activities.

Flexible settling is another useful part of the offer for families who want to remain involved while their child adjusts. The Good judgement from September 2023 provides a dated assessment; the key-person and digital-safety priorities give families clear subjects to explore before deciding.