Treetops Nursery, Easton

Exploration gives Treetops Nursery, Easton its character: children are encouraged to investigate their surroundings and develop ideas through play. This is provision for children aged two to five, with capacity for 24 children, on the same site as St Peters’ Primary School. The emphasis is on the years before Reception rather than baby care.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its inspection on 20 June 2022. That dated judgement provides a useful starting point, while the detail beneath it gives families more to weigh: imaginative topic work, books woven into activities and time spent in a dedicated woodland area.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children’s learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and relationships sit alongside developing language, physical skills and independence. Easton also incorporates the group-wide Curiosity Approach, with exploration of children’s surroundings used to encourage their own ideas. Heuristic play has a similar practical emphasis here: children learn by investigating what is around them.

Neutrals and Naturals is another group-wide concept used at Easton. Together, these approaches place exploration at the centre of the nursery’s stated learning style. They are additions to the framework, rather than a replacement for it.

In June 2022, activities connected children’s interests with a shared topic. Space was one example: planet books and imaginative play gave children different ways to investigate the same subject. Children contributed what they already knew, and staff used those contributions to take conversations further. A pretend journey in a moon buggy brought the topic into children’s own storytelling.

Books also belonged throughout the nursery in June 2022, rather than being confined to one reading space. Children brought stories to adults, joined shared reading and had time to talk about the pages. For parents, that is a useful picture of how conversation and early literacy fitted into play, rather than existing only as a separate activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

In June 2022, children spent substantial time outside, including in the dedicated woodland area. Balance bikes, woodland exploration and moving toys gave them different reasons to be physically active. Opportunities to make marks extended across the nursery, linking early writing practice with the wider day.

The woodland matters as a concrete part of that inspection-era picture. It added a different setting for exploration alongside indoor books and pretend play. Families considering Easton can use those examples to think about the balance of movement, conversation and imaginative activity they want for their child.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received individualised support, with families and outside agencies working together to help them progress. Those are dated findings about practice, rather than a promise about an individual child’s experience today.

In June 2022, children built familiar relationships with adults, and staff responded promptly when someone needed comfort. Parents could speak with their child’s key person about learning. This made the relationship useful to both sides: children had a familiar adult, while families had someone who knew their child to talk to.

Staff continuity was another feature in June 2022. Turnover was low, and the team included nine staff members at that time. That headcount is an inspection-time staffing figure, not a measure of the number of adults working with a particular group today.

The improvement point was specific. In June 2022, staff occasionally missed chances to help children manage their behaviour or do things independently. Leaders needed to sharpen their review of teaching so these parts of the curriculum were delivered more consistently. For families, independence means more than preparation for school: it concerns the small everyday moments in which a child practises managing themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

Easton opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 4pm, during term time, and closes for school holidays. That calendar is a central practical consideration for working families: the nursery day finishes in the afternoon, and holiday care needs a separate arrangement.

The address is St Peters C Of E Primary Academy, Marlingford Road, Easton, Norwich NR9 5AD, near the Norfolk Showground. Enquiries and visit bookings can be made by calling 07985 463367 or emailing easton@treetopsnursery.org.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered at Easton, and funded children can use any of its 24 places without restrictions on that basis. Funded hours can be used Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm. The term-time calendar remains relevant when planning attendance.

Easton takes no more than eight children under three in a session. That is a cap on the youngest age group within a session, not a separate room capacity or the nursery’s total size.

Sharing a site with St Peters’ Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Term-time rhythm. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm on weekdays, with school-holiday closures. This suits a family whose childcare needs follow the term calendar; holiday arrangements need their own plan.
• The youngest children. Easton accepts children from age two and limits under-threes to eight per session. During a visit, ask how that age group shares activities and space with older children.
• Everyday independence. The June 2022 improvement point concerned missed opportunities to develop self-care and behaviour management. Ask for current examples of how staff help children practise these skills throughout the day.

Treetops Nursery, Easton suits families seeking term-time provision for a child aged two to five, with an emphasis on exploration and imaginative learning. Its June 2022 inspection picture combined woodland activity, readily accessible books and close adult relationships, while identifying consistency in independence-building as the point to improve. The afternoon finish and school-holiday closures are decisive practical considerations.