The Trees Day Care Nursery
Situated on Oxford Road in the Stratton St Margaret area Swindon. This large detached property has been extensively refurbished to create the ideal nursery environment.
The nursery is divided into four spacious play rooms especially equipped for the appropriate age groups. For outdoor activities we have a safe, secure play area. The nursery also has a private car park for easy drop-offs and collections.
NEW OPENING HOURS from 1st July 2024 7.30am to 5.30pm
The Trees nursery is situated in a predominately residential area, on the Oxford Road, joining A420 heading for Oxford, and A419 heading north toward Gloucester and south to J15 on the M4.
Nursery Manager
The Trees Stratton nursery manager is Michelle Lyon who started work at The Trees in 2011. She has worked at both the Swindon nurseries, gaining experience in every aspect of child care. Michelle has a Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s workforce. She was appointed Manager of The Trees Nursery in Swindon, Oxford Road in June 2015.
The Staff Team
Caring for children is an important and challenging career. The right person and good training can make a huge difference to your child’s enjoyment of their time at nursery. Therefore, all of the staff at the nursery hold the NVQ Level 3 in Child Care, or are working towards it. All have a Paediatric First Aid Certificate and Food Hygiene Certificate, both of which are renewed every three years. In addition, all staff are carefully vetted through the Criminal Records Bureau and personal references are taken up when they first join the team.
It is important to us that your child settles at nursery and establishes strong connections with both staff and children. We therefore try to ensure children are kept within key groups with familiar staff ensuring their transition between rooms are smooth. Children are moved between age groups at the end of each school term to ensure that they create these strong bonds with their peers. We believe that emotional development and attachment is the key to a child’s holistic development and this is why we believe in the key person system.
Settling-in Period
We ask parents to allow two weeks before starting at the nursery to ensure their child is comfortable being left at The Trees nursery. The first week we book in Stay and Play sessions which we ask a parent or carer to attend with the child. These sessions can be up to 3 hours long and you can access as many as your child may need in this week. This will give you time to meet the team and ask any questions you may have as well as show us what your child needs from us during the day. The second week we arrange sessions of 1 to 4 hours in which your child can be left. If your child is not comfortable being left at this point you are welcome to do another week of Stay and Plays or a mix.
Settling in is a very important part of The Trees nursery experience for both children and parents. The nursery is very flexible about how this is conducted and, if it is thought to be beneficial pictures and out of nursery play sessions can be arranged..
Baby & Toddler Unit
This Unit, known as ‘Peaches’, can accommodate children up to 16 months. Comprising of two rooms divided into areas for quiet time and stories, small world play, ‘messy’ play such as water and creative activities, role play and physical movement. All children have access to their coats on low level pegs, giving independence when wishing to access the secure garden.
All children have their own labelled baskets for bedding, and have access to both cots and padded sleep mats, in an adjoining sleep room.
Weekly diaries are kept for all children, as a record of your child’s activities, routines and individual development. We encourage parents to spend time to study their child’s current daily routines and exchange feedback with The Trees staff.
Age 0-2 years
The 0-2 years unit comprises of a large well-equipped playroom called ‘Pears’, divided into areas for quiet time and stories, small world play, ‘messy’ play such as water and creative activities, role play and physical movement. Daily feedback is given through day sheets.
All children have their own labelled baskets for bedding, and have access to padded sleep mats for nap time.
A visual picture board is used to aid children in selecting and communicating their next activity to a member of The Trees staff.
Age 2-4 Years
The 2-4 year old’s also have their own room, known as ‘Cherries’, with areas dedicated to world play, ‘messy’ play such as water and creative activities, role play and physical movement. Also an adjoining carpeted area for children requiring a sleep and quiet adult led activities and stories.
The Trees staff plan adult led activities, such as cooking, counting, a walk and outdoor play or individual activities aimed at each child’s next steps. Emphasis is placed on pre-school education. Learning through play children learn their letters, writing, numbers, shapes and sounds.
The children communicate what they desire to do next around The Trees nursery such as, going out to the garden or the toilet, using their own visual timetable
Pre-School group
The 3-5 year old’s room ‘Apples’ is divided into areas for quiet time and stories, small world play, ‘messy’ play such as water and creative activities, role play and physical movement.
The Trees staff plan both group and individual activities aimed at each child’s learning. We focus on learning sounds in our Pre-school room and using those sounds to speak, read and write with.
‘Apples’ promotes pre-school education which combines play with learning their letters and sounds through songs and rhymes. With significant focus on pre-school learning including colours, letters, writing, numbers and shapes in preparation for the transition to school this year.
School age group
The nursery runs a Breakfast Club where children can be dropped off in the morning, eat breakfast and are then escorted to the ‘Colebrook’ School by nursery The Trees staff.
If required The Trees staff can also collect children from school, when attending the After-School Club. Drinks and snacks are provided whilst children relax playing board games, using computers, art equipment or playing in the garden. During school holidays children are welcome to attend all day.
All Groups
The Trees nursery is equipped with a separate milk kitchen we provide required milks and bottles which are sterilised in individual sterilisers. Each room has access to a separate nappy changing facility where we provide eco-friendly nappies, pull ups, wet wipes and creams.
Potty training is provided for younger children, if required.
Food & Mealtimes
A good diet is essential for the health and happiness of children and The Trees nursery has designed a selection of well-planned meals and snacks, which are nutritious and tasty, using a combination of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein. It caters for most dietary needs, menus are varied and all meals are cooked freshly on site.
| Day | Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Tea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Crumpets and butter | Breadsticks and chutney | Toad in the Hole with broccoli and carrots Fruit bars | Cheese and spinach toasties
Ice cream |
| Tuesday | Pancakes and dried fruit | Rice cakes | Corned beef hash and sweet corn Poached pears | Jacket potato and beans
Strawberries and cream |
| Wednesday | Blueberries and yoghurt | Fruit bowl | Fish chips and mushy peas Sorbet | Vegetable lasagne
Dried fruit |
| Thursday | Porridge and sliced apple | Fruit kebabs | Pineapple and ham pizza
Ginger biscuits |
Fish cakes and potato wedges
Tartlets |
| Friday | Croissants and jam | Popcorn | Shepherds pie with sweet potato mash
Banana wraps |
Nachos with salad and salsa
Jelabi |
Security
The Trees nursery door is securely locked at all times and only a member of The Trees nursery staff is authorised to open it. Parents are requested not to answer the door if they hear the doorbell ring. The Trees staff will check ID’s and passwords for anyone other than the primary carer collecting a child and will not allow anyone they do not know, or who does not have prior consent, entry into the building.
Opening Hours
The Trees normal opening hours are 7.00 am to 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
Pricing Schedule (as from 1st April 2024)
| Age | 5 Hour Session | One Day | Full Time | |
| 10 Hours Max | Per Month | |||
| 3 months to 5 years | £47.00 | £80.00 | £1585.00 | |
|
Extra hours are charged at £12.00 per hour |
No sessions will start or finish between 9am and 12 noon |
*Breakfast/After Schools and School Holiday Clubs
| Age | 1 hour | 3 hours | 5 hours | Full Day |
| 10 Hours Max | ||||
| School Age to 11 years | £9.50 | £21.50 | £27.50 | £47.50 |
*Pre – booking essential
Inclusive of Drop-off and Pick-ups from local school.
All meals, morning or afternoon inclusive of either breakfast or tea.
1. Prices are inclusive of all meals and consumable such as nappies etc.
2. For details relating to these please refer to the Terms and Conditions of the Company’s Day Care Nursery Facilities Agreement.
3. It should be noted that the fee paid is for an annual facility during opening hours and is payable monthly in advance for 52 weeks per year.
4. The Day Care Nursery will be closed on Bank Holidays also between Christmas and New Year, the fees have been calculated accordingly and there will be no adjustment for any distortions caused.
5. A discount of 10% of the fees for a minimum of three full days or 20% for full time is available for siblings attending the Nursery at the same time as each other where the youngest child is being paid at the full time rate.
6. Grant funding only covers education for 38 weeks per year. All other costs, including food, consumables and service, will be charged separately to the parents or clients.
The nursery accepts childcare vouchers. To find out more, please speak to the nursery Manager.
Nursery Times & Prices – TERM TIME ONLY
| Age Group | 5 Hour Session | One Day | Hourly Rate | |
| 10 Hours Max | Per Month | |||
| 3 Mths to 5 Yrs | £51.00 | £87.00 | £12.00 | |
|
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1. Prices are inclusive of all meals and consumables such as nappies, etc.
2. For details relating to these prices please refer to the Terms and Conditions of the Company’s Day Care Nursery Facilities Agreement.
3. It should be noted that the fee paid is for an annual facility during opening hours and is payable monthly in advance for Term Time attendance of 38 or 39 weeks per year.
4. The Day Care Nursery will be closed on Bank Holidays. This has been taken into account when the above fees have been calculated and there will be no adjustment for any distortions caused by Bank Holidays on any particular day of the week.
5. Grant Funding if applicable only covers education all other costs will be charged to the Parents or Clients.