Orchard House Oak Tree Day Nursery, Finchampstead

A greenhouse, a growing area and an Eco Schools Green Flag give Oak Tree a clear identity: children have practical opportunities to care for the natural world. The garden is more than somewhere to let off steam. Planting and environmental projects connect outdoor play with responsibility, making this Finchampstead nursery a useful choice for families who want nature to have a place in their child's day.

Orchard House Oak Tree Day Nursery, Finchampstead has 71 places in total and accepts children from two months to five years. At its August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding overall. Behind that judgement were concrete examples of children measuring liquids, exploring books and making decisions together, rather than a day organised solely around adult instructions.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) frames children's learning and development through play that builds communication, independence and understanding. Oak Tree's own curriculum adds belonging, perseverance and community responsibility. Children choose their play, with adults helping them explore interests and tackle challenges.

In August 2024, practitioners used a locally devised three pillars curriculum to develop everyday life skills, building new experiences on what children had already tried. Even babies and toddlers were encouraged to express what they wanted. Asking another child for a turn with a toy made communication part of an ordinary interaction, rather than something confined to a language activity.

Water play showed how several kinds of learning could sit within one experience. In August 2024, lemons and limes were added to a water tray, and children made imaginary mixtures while pouring, measuring and collaborating. The materials were simple; the activity gave children reasons to compare quantities and negotiate with one another. Small-group activities also included counting in Spanish as well as English, giving younger children an opportunity to experiment with unfamiliar words.

Books extended beyond a story session. In August 2024, fiction and information books could be used outdoors as well as inside, and a book lending library connected nursery reading with home. Creative work also followed children's interests: making and decorating hats developed into an exploration of fashion design. A visiting nature artist introduced work with natural materials, and children subsequently made models using shells, clay, twigs and leaves. These examples show adults extending an idea children had already taken up.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden's greenhouse and growing area make environmental learning practical. Eco Schools, the environmental scheme through which the nursery has earned its Green Flag, connects that work with caring for the planet.

In August 2024, outdoor experiences included climbing into a tree house and playing in puddles. Environmental responsibility reached beyond the garden, too. Children and practitioners met as a committee to decide actions such as recycling correctly and switching off lights. Through a local-authority initiative, they also collected litter from a lane the nursery had adopted beside its premises. That made caring for a shared place a concrete activity children could take part in.

Relationships and Communication

In August 2024, the key-person arrangement gave children a familiar adult who understood their individual needs. Practitioners used that knowledge to respond to children, while transitions were planned from the baby stage through subsequent age groups and onwards to school. For a family thinking beyond the first few months, continuity between stages matters as much as the initial settling period.

Parents were involved in learning in August 2024 and encouraged to contribute experiences from home. This gave practitioners another way to understand a child's interests and linked the two parts of their day. Families also voted on which local charity to support, bringing parents into a shared decision and introducing children to needs within their community.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised SEND support, including early identification, links with outside professionals and guidance that helped parents support learning at home. Those mechanisms matter: identifying a difficulty led to seeking additional help, and staff training was shared across the team rather than kept with one practitioner.

Later regulatory findings raised safety record-keeping issues. In August 2025, the nursery strengthened training and staff understanding of how to document injuries and accidents. In April 2026, a welfare requirements notice required a written record whenever medication was administered. At the regulatory visit on 22 April 2026, medication records were being maintained and the action was confirmed met.

In August 2024, handwashing was also used as a teaching opportunity. Adults explained germs and reminded children to clean their hands carefully, connecting a routine care task with growing independence. Meals are now prepared fresh on the premises each day using seasonal ingredients, so food preparation is part of the nursery's own daily operation.

Sessions and Attendance

Oak Tree opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, throughout the year. Bank holidays and two inset days require alternative childcare arrangements.

Getting There

The address is 13 Nine Mile Ride, Finchampstead, Wokingham, RG40 4QD. Onsite parking supports collection and drop-off by car. Enquiries can be made through the nursery's enquiry facility or WhatsApp.

Funding and Paid Extras

In August 2024, the nursery received early-education funding for children aged two, three and four. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Nature in practice. The greenhouse, growing area and Eco Schools Green Flag make environmental learning a clear reason to consider Oak Tree. During a visit, ask how children of your child's age take part in planting and caring for the garden.
• Attendance and total cost. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6.30pm, with bank-holiday and inset-day closures. Ask which booking pattern fits your week and how funded hours, meals and consumables are treated in the written quotation.
• Continuity of care. The August 2024 arrangements linked a key person with planned moves between age groups. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how your child's relationship with that adult is supported when they move to the next stage.

Oak Tree suits families who value outdoor exploration, practical environmental responsibility and learning that grows from children's interests. Its greenhouse and Green Flag give that preference something tangible to rest on. The August 2024 examples also show why everyday activities matter here: measuring a mixture, borrowing a book or requesting a turn can each become a learning experience. Year-round opening makes it relevant to families organising childcare around work. In August 2024, transitions were planned through age groups and onwards to school.