Treetops Nursery, Mulbarton

Nature exploration and a preschool within school grounds give Treetops Mulbarton its character. Children pick fruit, investigate their surroundings and share handmade gifts locally, while a school-site expansion has added another setting for preschool life. The appeal is practical exploration, with nature discovery and fruit picking giving children concrete experiences.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 10 September 2021. That judgement predates the school-site expansion, so it provides a dated assessment rather than a judgement on the newer arrangement. The nursery has capacity for 32 children, with a current age range of 24 to 60 months.

Mulbarton Village Hall, The Common, Norwich, NR14 8AE is the nursery's address. Its connection with the grounds of Mulbarton Primary School adds an important consideration for families: the site used by their child's group needs to be clear before joining.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play supports communication, physical development and growing independence. Alongside that framework, Mulbarton's approach draws inspiration from the Curiosity Approach, encouraging children to investigate and explore through play. Nature discovery, fruit picking and sharing handmade gifts in the community give that emphasis concrete expression.

The outdoor space provides room for exploring nature. This matters for families who want practical experiences to be part of nursery life, rather than learning confined to indoor activities. The branch's emphasis on curiosity is expressed through things children can do and investigate.

In September 2021, children examined a bug hotel with magnifying glasses, then used large bricks to make an insect home of their own. They also watered plants and dug up vegetables before bringing them into imaginative play in the mud kitchen. These examples connect observation, making and pretend play: children could explore something real and then develop the idea themselves.

Language had a similarly practical place in September 2021. Staff used gestures and simple signs during singing, introduced unfamiliar words in conversation and modelled correct pronunciation. Older children explored books about eagles and owls. Everyday conversation and shared reading provided opportunities to hear language, try it and connect words with things that interested them.

There was an important limitation in September 2021. Teaching practice varied: some staff built carefully on earlier learning, while others moved children forward before knowledge was secure or asked several questions together, leaving too little thinking time. The improvement priority was clearer planning of what children should learn next, with enough practice before tackling more demanding activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

The walking club took children beyond the nursery to explore their community in September 2021. Within the setting, independence was practised through ordinary responsibilities: children chose activities, collected drinks and washed their cups, while older children cut fruit with supervision and looked for possible hazards. These were small, useful tasks that made participation part of the day.

A preschool opened within the grounds of Mulbarton Primary School in September 2024. The expansion also created a baby room in the village hall. Familiarity with a school setting offers a concrete transition experience, although it should be kept separate from any assumption about securing a Reception place.

At the September 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described individual SEND support involving other agencies, alongside close relationships between children and their key person. These findings concern practice at that time. They should not be read as an assessment of arrangements introduced afterwards.

Before children started in September 2021, staff gathered information about their interests and needs. New starters received extra attention, giving practitioners a starting point for responding to the individual child rather than treating settling as the same process for everyone. Children were also helped to recognise feelings and play cooperatively.

Communication in September 2021 included daily conversations with the key person and information shared through an online service. For parents, the useful combination was personal discussion alongside updates that could be revisited later. Both supported an understanding of what their child had been doing.

The September 2021 team comprised 13 childcare staff, with qualifications spanning level 2 to level 6. Staff received training, supervision and feedback. Those are dated workforce details, separate from the nursery's overall capacity and from the number of adults working with a particular group today.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery operates during term time and closes for school holidays. The preschool opening hours are 8am to 3.30pm on Monday, 8am to 4pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, 8am to 3pm on Thursday, and 8am to 4pm on Friday. The baby-and-toddler opening hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. These are opening windows, rather than a promise that a particular booking pattern is offered.

The earlier Monday and Thursday preschool finishes matter for families arranging collection around work. The preschool timetable should therefore be considered separately from the baby-and-toddler opening window.

Getting There

The village-hall address is Mulbarton Village Hall, The Common, Mulbarton, NR14 8AE; the school site is Mulbarton Primary School, The Common, NR14 8JG. Branch enquiries go to mulbarton@treetopsnursery.org or 07487 772712.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered at Mulbarton, which operates during term time. Families should obtain a current written quotation for paid childcare.

The preschool's position within school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process. Familiarity with the school environment and admission to the school are separate matters.

• Two sites and different age descriptions. The school-site preschool and village-hall baby room are part of the expansion, but the contact addresses pair the groups with the opposite sites, and the branch advertises admission from age one alongside the current age range of 24 to 60 months. Before joining, ask which site and age group apply to your child.
• Earlier preschool finishes. Monday ends at 3.30pm and Thursday at 3pm, while the other preschool days end at 4pm. Those differences need to fit your collection arrangements.
• Teaching sequence. September 2021 practice varied in how staff extended learning and allowed children time to respond. On a visit, ask how practitioners now choose next steps and give children time to consolidate them.
• Food and everyday supplies. For the group your child would join, ask how meals, snacks and non-food consumables are handled on funded and paid hours.

Treetops Mulbarton suits families seeking term-time nursery care with nature exploration, community involvement and a preschool experience within school grounds. Fruit picking and local gift sharing give its current approach substance; the September 2021 account adds useful examples of practical independence and outdoor investigation.

The school-site expansion is a meaningful part of the offer, but the site and age arrangements need resolving for an individual child. Families whose working day fits the preschool's varied closing times have a clearer practical match than those needing the same late finish every weekday. The Good judgement remains a dated starting point, with teaching sequence an appropriate subject for a visit.