Cherry Tree Day Nursery, The

A mud kitchen with twin sinks, a vegetable patch and a cobbled ride-on area give this Hilton nursery a recognisable character. Play extends beyond toys: children have spaces for mixing, growing, exploring and moving, alongside a Baby Unit and rooms for sleep. The setting combines a family-home setting with purpose-built space for nursery learning.

Cherry Tree Day Nursery, The accepts children aged three months to five years at 1 Cherry Garth, Hilton, Derby, DE65 5FT. At its December 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes, and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of today's practice.

Attendance choices include short days, full days, morning and afternoon sessions, plus flexible part-time care. The practical appeal is the choice of patterns, alongside an outdoor environment with several different kinds of play.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit introduces music, books and songs alongside sensory exploration and messy play, with time in the garden giving babies a change of surroundings. Toddlers, aged 24 to 36 months, have creative and imaginative play that supports early language, interaction and number awareness. Pre-school, for children aged two to five, combines preparation for school with opportunities to choose between indoor and outdoor activities.

Within the wider building are spaces for dining, creative activity and sensory play, as well as a sleep room. These are useful distinctions for families: eating, exploring materials and resting have places within the nursery's physical arrangement, rather than being treated as the same activity in the same space.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and development, with children building skills through play. Here, preschool activities include construction, puppets, expressive arts, early science and exploration outdoors. Movement between rooms and the garden gives children opportunities to choose what to investigate.

In December 2021, mathematical play took different forms across the ages: older babies counted train carriages, toddlers compared the sizes of toy elephants, and preschool children matched numbers to quantities of fruit. Numbers were connected to objects children could handle. That makes the activity more concrete than simply repeating a sequence aloud.

Imaginative play also created opportunities for conversation in December 2021. Children organised a pretend campfire meal, discussed vegetables and decided who would serve the soup and prepare plates. Adults used questions to extend the game. The value lay in the combination of language, shared decisions and sustained play, rather than a separate lesson interrupting the activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden has cushioned artificial turf, a bug hotel, a compost area and a patch where beans, tomatoes and potatoes are grown each year. The mud kitchen includes pots, pans and water play, while the cobbled ride-on zone provides another kind of movement. There is more than one reason to go outside.

These features give children different materials and environments to explore: growing plants, looking at small creatures, handling water and moving on wheeled toys. In December 2021, outdoor activity included babies playing in puddles and preschool children balancing on substantial play equipment. Those examples belong to that visit; the garden's current physical features carry the present-day account.

Free taster sessions and brief settling sessions allow children and parents to become familiar with the nursery before establishing their attendance routine. This is a practical introduction, especially for a child moving into a new care arrangement: familiarity can begin in a shorter session rather than depending entirely on the first booked day.

At the December 2021 inspection, Ofsted found close relationships between children and staff, with adults encouraging kindness and helping children include others in their games. In December 2021, children also practised washing their hands, using the toilet independently and pouring drinks. Everyday care routines therefore formed part of learning, alongside planned activities.

There were two clear qualifications to that picture in December 2021. Adults sometimes stepped in too quickly when children were putting on coats or serving food, reducing opportunities to manage these tasks themselves. Story sessions were also interrupted by tidying and the handling of children joining the setting. Both points matter because confidence develops through time to try, and a story needs sustained attention.

An on-site cook prepares food freshly using a two-week menu cycle that changes with the seasons. The nursery offers dietary adaptations, and its menu identifies allergens; families affected by allergies should confirm the arrangements for their child before starting.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm from Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. Families choosing regular attendance therefore need to account for those closures.

A Short Day runs from 9am to 3pm, while a Full Day runs from 8am to 5.30pm. Morning Sessions are 8.30am to 12.30pm; Afternoon Sessions run from 12.30pm to 4.30pm. Flexible part-time attendance can begin at three hours. These are different booking choices, rather than interchangeable descriptions of the opening window.

An additional early-start period runs from 7.45am to 8am, and a late finish extends care until 6pm, each carrying an extra charge. The Before School Breakfast Club and After School Club also provide care around the school day, with collection from a local primary school or preschool; after-school charging distinguishes finishes at 5pm and 6pm.

The address is 1 Cherry Garth, Hilton, Derby, DE65 5FT, in a cul-de-sac. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01283 732297 or by email to cherrytreedaynursery@gmail.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare covers children from nine months and children aged two, three and four, subject to eligibility and the nursery's stated availability condition. Funded hours can be taken during term time, with 15 or 30 hours a week over 38 weeks, or stretched over 50 weeks. Families can therefore consider both the weekly pattern and the period across which funding is used.

Meals and snacks carry separate charges for children using 15 or 30 funded hours, including breakfast, lunch and light tea according to the day booked. Private sessions and additional time are also charged. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the sessions and fees page sets out the attendance and funding structure.

• Independence and story time. In December 2021, adults sometimes helped before children had finished trying, and other tasks interrupted stories. On a visit, ask how routines now protect children's time to manage coats, serve food and listen together.
• Funding across the year. Term-time funding and funding stretched over 50 weeks are both offered, while funded meals and snacks are charged separately. Compare the whole attendance pattern and food charges in the written quotation.
• A gradual introduction. Free tasters and short settling sessions are offered. Use the visit to discuss how those sessions would fit your child's start.
• Dietary arrangements. The kitchen offers adaptations and the menu identifies allergens. Families managing an allergy should confirm how meals will be prepared and served for their child.

Cherry Tree's appeal rests on its garden, creative play and breadth of attendance choices. It suits families seeking either shorter morning or afternoon sessions, a school-length Short Day, or a Full Day with charged extensions. The mud kitchen, growing space and separate sleep provision make the setting easier to picture than a general promise of learning through play.

The December 2021 Good judgement provides a useful reference point, with routines around independence and stories offering concrete questions for a visit. Funding flexibility adds practical value, provided families consider the separately charged food alongside their chosen hours.