The Learning Tree, Sissinghurst

Foam-brick building projects, tricycles and visits to animals on a school site give The Learning Tree, Sissinghurst a recognisable character in its November 2022 account. This is a nursery with capacity for 26 children, based on Common Road in Sissinghurst.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. Children attending then were aged two to four. The strongest practical examples combined physical play, imaginative activities and learning to manage relationships.

In November 2022, outdoor play included a climbing frame and tricycles, giving children opportunities to practise movement and coordination. Walks through the school grounds involved gathering leaves, while visits to animals introduced care for living creatures. The surroundings contributed directly to children's activities.

Children collaborated on a wall made from foam bricks and rebuilt it when wind knocked it down. Play dough became pretend ice creams. These were opportunities to experiment, persevere and invent.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the November 2022 examples included imaginative play, physical activity and communication: glove puppets helped introduce community occupations, including firefighters and police officers.

In November 2022, key-person relationships involved staff knowing children and their families well, with encouragement and praise forming part of everyday interactions. Following consultation with families, some parents could stay to help their children settle at the beginning of a session.

At that inspection, Ofsted found that observations informed children's next learning steps and that staff identified emerging developmental gaps and worked with other agencies to secure additional help, but support for children learning English as an additional language needed strengthening. Those children did not consistently have effective ways to communicate preferences and needs.

An online journal shared children's activities with parents in November 2022. However, suggestions for continuing learning at home were not routinely shared. That distinction matters: knowing what happened during the day and having useful ideas to try together are different forms of support.

During the same month, sand timers helped children practise taking turns. Fruit snacks, handwashing and emergency evacuation practice brought health and safety into everyday learning.

The address is The Learning Tree Nursery, Common Road, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 2BH. In November 2022, the nursery operated within the grounds of Sissinghurst Church of England Primary School.

Opening hours then were 9am to 3pm from Monday to Thursday and 9am to midday on Friday, during school terms. At that time, the nursery received funding for free early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. These are dated operating arrangements.

Attending a nursery on a school site does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Attendance today. The November 2022 timetable ended at midday on Fridays and followed school terms. Which current attendance arrangements would fit your family's week?
• Communication support. In November 2022, children learning English as an additional language needed more effective help to express choices and needs. This is a specific area to discuss when considering support for your child.
• Learning at home. The November 2022 online journal communicated activities, but staff did not routinely supply ideas for extending learning at home. Discuss how that partnership now works.

The November 2022 picture suits families who value outdoor movement, imaginative play and close key-person relationships. It combines concrete examples of children's experiences with two clear development priorities: communication support and learning with parents at home. The Good judgement provides a dated assessment, while the school-site setting brings a separate admissions decision for Reception.