The Willow Tree Nursery School

Daily Makaton, open-plan classrooms and access to a primary school's playing field give The Willow Tree Nursery School a clear identity. Makaton is a communication programme using symbols and signs; here, children practise it through everyday words such as please, water and play. The emphasis is practical: communication is woven into ordinary nursery life rather than confined to a separate activity.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, with Outstanding education and effective safeguarding. That judgement provides a strong starting point for families considering this independent nursery beside Bidford-on-Avon Primary School. It has capacity for 34 children in total, a whole-setting figure rather than a measure of the number sharing an activity or classroom.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance run on weekdays during term time. The combination of shorter sessions and school links will appeal to families planning a gradual introduction to nursery or a routine around the school year. The youngest starting age needs particular attention because two different entry ages are given.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play supports language, physical development and growing independence. Willow Tree adds daily Makaton to that foundation. Children learn signs for greetings, requests and sharing, giving them another way to express themselves alongside speech. Its use across the nursery makes communication a shared activity.

Open-plan classrooms contain spaces for building, imaginative play and stories, alongside sand, water, literacy and maths resources. Adult-guided experiences sit beside activities children choose themselves. That gives a child scope to pursue an interest while also joining something a practitioner has prepared. Toilets and sinks are readily accessible, making the physical layout relevant to children learning to manage their own personal care.

In April 2024, conversations about minibeasts introduced vocabulary connected with insects and their development. Sensory activities also gave children opportunities to practise descriptive words. These experiences gave children words for what they discovered.

Model-making brought another kind of challenge in April 2024. Children considered which materials could form a minibeast's body parts and how to join them. Rather than simply completing a craft, they had decisions to make about materials and construction. Stories, rhymes and songs were also used to revisit vocabulary, allowing words to recur in different activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

The nursery describes a partnership with Bidford-on-Avon Primary School that gives children opportunities to use its hall for PE, its playing field and its forest school area. These are concrete additions to the nursery's own indoor and outdoor classrooms. The hall offers space for movement activities, while the school grounds broaden the places children can explore.

In April 2024, outdoor activity included climbing, balancing on narrow beams and moving across stepping stones. Yoga and forest-school activities were also part of that inspection-time experience. The practical emphasis was on movement, coordination and trying things for themselves, with different physical challenges available beyond seated activities.

Everyday responsibilities mattered too. In April 2024, children helped prepare snack tables, handed fruit to others and took a turn leading a manners song with a tambourine. These are small jobs with a useful purpose: children contribute to a shared routine rather than simply waiting for adults to organise everything for them.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key worker who learns about their interests, development and next steps. Parents and staff use a Communication diary to exchange important information, supported by a daily collection whiteboard and monthly newsletters. The diary carries individual information; the other updates cover nursery life.

The 2Build a profile and parent share system captures observations and achievements, with updates sometimes sent by email. Parents receive concrete examples of their child's activities. Parents can also speak with staff through an open-door arrangement, so communication includes both written updates and discussion.

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the key-person arrangements supported individual learning effectively and that children with SEND received excellent support and made excellent progress. The current support mechanism involves a special educational needs coordinator working with families, key workers and outside professionals. That makes the coordinator's role a practical link between home, nursery and specialist advice.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The nursery received the Warwickshire Inclusion Kite-marking Scheme (W.Inc.K.S) award for 2024-2025. This is an inclusion award, rather than a substitute for understanding an individual child's support arrangements. Its relevance sits alongside the coordinator role and the nursery's approach to involving parents and external professionals.

In April 2024, children practised cleaning their teeth, discussed food choices and helped themselves to drinking water. These activities made health advice practical.

School preparation has a concrete structure. Transition meetings involve Reception teachers, and children have opportunities to spend time with their future teachers during their final nursery term. Staff also contact teachers at other primary schools when needed. This makes the transition work relevant beyond the school beside the nursery, with discussion and familiarity forming part of the move onwards.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Bidford-on-Avon Primary School, Bramley Way, Bidford-on-Avon, B50 4QG. It operates Monday to Friday in term time, offering mornings from 8.50am to 12.20pm, afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm and full days from 8.50am to 3.30pm.

There are also morning sessions from 9.30am to 12.30pm and full days from 9.30am to 3.30pm. For morning and full-day attendance, the optional 8.50am to 9.30am period is private care and cannot be covered by funding. That distinction matters when comparing an earlier start with the funded part of the day.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by calling 01789 773041. The nursery is independent from the primary school despite being attached to it. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority's school admissions process. Transition visits and teacher meetings help with preparation, rather than conferring an admissions advantage.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time, alongside paid childcare. The funding arrangements include 15-hour entitlements for eligible working parents of two-year-olds and disadvantaged two-year-olds, the universal 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, and an additional 15-hour entitlement for eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds. A 30-hour entitlement for children aged nine months and above is also listed, subject to eligibility and the nursery's own entry age.

Time covered by Nursery Education Funding carries no childcare charge. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and the full funding and payment terms accompany registration forms when a child's place is confirmed. Fees continue to apply during absences, including illness, appointments and holidays, so missed attendance can still affect the family budget.

Parents supply a packed lunch with a cool pack for morning or full-day attendance; snacks can either be bought separately from the nursery or brought from home, including during funded attendance. Parents also bring a named water bottle, and the nursery's dietary policy addresses allergies, intolerances and religious requirements.

• Starting age. Entry information gives both two years and two years eight months, while the fee arrangements include two-year-olds. Families with a younger child should establish the applicable starting age before arranging attendance.
• Morning collection. The morning session ends at 12.20pm in the session timetable and 12.30pm in the fee arrangements. Clarify which collection time applies to the chosen booking, particularly when coordinating another child's school routine.
• Term-time routine. Both shorter sessions and full days follow the term-time model. Consider how that fits the family's working year and, at a visit, discuss how the key worker introduces a new child to their chosen pattern.
• Food and dietary needs. Lunch comes from home and nursery snacks are a separately charged choice. Families managing allergies should confirm current food-handling arrangements and how home-provided food fits their child's dietary plan.

Willow Tree suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day attendance during term time. Daily Makaton, accessible play areas and opportunities to use the primary school's hall and grounds give its offer substance. The April 2024 Outstanding judgement adds weight to those practical features.

Its school relationship is useful for familiarity and transition, while its independence keeps the admissions position clear. The strongest fit is a family that values communication with a key worker, varied play spaces and preparation for the next stage, and can accommodate a term-time routine.