The Trees Day Care Nursery, Old Town

A detached house with half an acre of mature gardens gives The Trees Day Care Nursery, Old Town its character: separate spaces for babies, rooms arranged around different stages of development, and outdoor areas that change with children's ages. This Quarry Road setting in Swindon has capacity for 98 children, with its nursery age range running from three months to five years. The garden is a substantial part of the offer.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The practical strengths include an adjoining sleeping room for babies, a gradual settling programme and freshly cooked food prepared on site. Morning-sized sessions, whole days and term-time attendance give families different ways to use the setting.

The inspection also left two clear priorities: helping children handle emotions and disagreements, and giving older children more demanding mathematical work.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit, for children up to one year old, combines a playroom with an adjoining sleeping room, a separate milk kitchen and nappy-changing facilities. Each baby has an individually labelled cot or pram for sleep, while individual sterilisers keep milk preparation organised. Separating sleep from the main play space gives rest its own place rather than making it compete with ongoing activity.

For the 1 – 2 Year Olds, two playrooms divide water and creative play from quieter experiences, with a home corner, story corner and sleeping area in the quieter room.

The 2 – 3 Year Olds also have two playrooms, separating messy activities from quieter ones; the quiet room becomes a sleeping space after lunch, and weekly activity plans give the day a recognisable pattern. Potty training is supported when needed.

Within the 3-5 Year Olds provision, wet-play and carpeted areas support learning and play across two rooms, with discussion time and weekly plans introducing letters, writing, shapes, colours and numbers.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play, conversation and routines are opportunities to develop skills. Here, the older children's planned discussions and the younger groups' creative activities sit within that framework.

In June 2025, language work took different forms across the ages. Staff responded to babies' sounds and introduced words during bubble play; toddlers joined familiar rhymes and stories, while preschool children contributed ideas in group conversations.

Children's interests also shaped activities that June. An interest in minibeasts led to toy spiders being picked from cotton-wool webs with tongs, alongside discussion about spiders' habitats and prey. The activity linked hand control with conversation about the natural world.

Mathematics needs closer attention. In June 2025, staff introduced counting and language about shape, size and quantity, but did not consistently develop older children's thinking far enough; some lost interest. The issue was the level of challenge, not simply whether numbers appeared in activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

The gardens have three sections: an area for children aged zero to two, an all-weather play space for the age groups, and a meadow and exploratory area for older children. Wet-weather clothing is available for garden use.

In June 2025, physical play included toddlers climbing steps to a slide, using trampolines and moving over tyres; babies pushed wheeled toys across different surfaces. Community experiences included nature walks, local events and meetings with care-home residents.

Relationships and Communication

Settling takes place over three sessions. The first lasts half an hour with parents present, the second lasts one and a half hours and introduces short separations, and the third lasts two hours, usually spanning lunch or tea. The sequence gradually increases time away from parents while introducing a familiar daily routine such as eating with other children.

Parents can spend time discussing their child's day with staff, and daily routines are kept for babies. That is especially useful when care involves sleep, feeding and changes across the day: a conversation can connect what happens at nursery with what happens at home.

In June 2025, babies and younger children turned to their key persons for comfort, and toddlers readily approached staff. Regular parent committee meetings gave families a way to contribute ideas, while staff shared information about children's development and suggested games to try at home. Communication extended beyond a brief account of the day's activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The nursery's collection procedures include identity and password checks when someone other than the main carer collects a child. Staff control entry through the locked door.

Emotional support was less consistent in June 2025. Staff used calm reminders and encouraged considerate behaviour, but did not always help children explain their feelings to one another or settle disagreements independently. For families, the distinction matters: stopping a dispute is different from teaching a child how to deal with the next one.

Everyday independence was visible that June too. Babies made choices at snack time, preschool children served food and cleared their eating utensils, and toddlers practised parts of dressing after nappy changes. These small tasks gave children opportunities to take responsibility for themselves within ordinary care routines.

Meals are cooked on site, with breakfast, a morning snack, lunch and afternoon tea, and menus cater for most dietary needs. Staff and children share the meal at lunchtime, making eating a social part of the day as well as a care routine.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Quarry Road, Swindon, SN1 4EN. Normal opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays; the year-round arrangement also closes between Christmas and New Year. Families need to account for that winter closure when arranging care across the year.

Nursery booking options include five-hour sessions, whole days of up to ten hours and flexible sessions. A separate term-time arrangement covers 38 or 39 weeks.

For school-age children up to 11 years, Breakfast Club runs from 8am to 9am and includes taking children to school; After-School Club runs from 3pm to 6pm and includes collection, food and opportunities to play or relax. Both require advance booking. Holiday care is also offered, extending the setting's role beyond its early-years rooms.

Getting There

Off-street parking is provided at the nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with grant-funded education covering 38 weeks. Private nursery fees include meals and consumables such as nappies. For funded hours, food, consumables and service costs are billed in addition to the funded education.

Private fees are paid monthly in advance, with year-round billing covering up to 52 weeks and term-time billing linked to its attendance arrangement. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The branch's attendance and charge arrangements distinguish those options, which makes the chosen pattern central to the overall cost.

• Older children's challenge. In June 2025, mathematical activities did not consistently stretch older children. During a visit, ask how staff extend an activity for a child who has already mastered its first step.
• Handling disagreements. The June 2025 priority included helping children express emotions and resolve conflict. Ask staff to explain how they guide children through a disagreement, beyond reminding them to be kind.
• Funded and private attendance. Private prices include meals and consumables, while funded attendance has separate food, consumable and service costs. Request a written quotation for the precise mix of funded time and additional attendance you intend to use.
• Baby care and dietary needs. The Baby Unit has separate sleep and milk-preparation spaces, and menus cater for most dietary needs. On a visit, discuss your baby's routines and confirm how any allergy or dietary requirement would be managed.

The Trees suits families looking for a substantial garden, age-organised indoor spaces and a gradual introduction to nursery life. It accommodates five-hour sessions, full days and term-time attendance, alongside Breakfast Club and After-School Club for school-age children up to 11 years.

Its strongest appeal is the connection between physical space and everyday care: babies have an adjoining sleeping room, younger children have quieter areas alongside messy play, and older children have room for discussion and exploration. The Good judgement from June 2025 sits alongside clear development priorities in emotional support and mathematical challenge. Those priorities deserve as much attention as the house and gardens when families decide whether the nursery fits their child.