Nursery Advice
Claim Your Nursery

Orchard Trees Childcare

Ofsted: Good
(Jan 2025)
·
5.0(10 Google reviews) ·Orchard Trees Day Nursery, York, YO19 6DE · North Yorkshire
Number of places
88 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2025
Local authority
North Yorkshire

About this day nursery

Orchard Trees Childcare, nestled in York, YO19 6DE, fosters an environment where children are encouraged to lead their own learning journeys, driven by their natural curiosity and infinite potential. The day nursery prides itself on offering flexible, high-quality care tailored to individual family needs, whether that means term-time only or ad-hoc sessions.

Their unique approach, honed over 15 years, eschews fleeting educational trends in favour of a values-driven curriculum that celebrates individuality and promotes creative thinking. Children are given the freedom to explore and make choices within a stimulating setting that emphasises expression and autonomy for both children and staff.

The day nursery is committed to creating a vibrant community where children can thrive, developing their creativity and making discoveries at their own pace. They are so confident in their approach that they offer a "Happiness Guarantee," allowing families to withdraw within the first month with a full refund of registration and unused session fees if it's not the right fit.

Our ethos

At Orchard Trees we believe that all children are born with infinite potential and wonder. Our role as early years educators is to support children’s intrinsic curiosities to motivate them to learn. We are strong advocates of giving children the freedom to explore and make their own choices in an environment full of natural interests. We let children take the lead and carve out their own path of discovery. By valuing the individuality of all, we aim to scaffold creative thinking as we undergo a journey of learning together.

What it's like

Relationships are nurtured at this friendly and calm nursery. Time is taken to understand children's individual needs. Babies routines are closely linked to those at home, which helps children to settle into the nursery and promotes their well-being. Staff work closely with families to discover children's interests, so they can plan learning that they know they will enjoy. Children make good progress as they work their way through the well-sequenced curriculum.

Flexible childcareChild-led learningCreative curriculumOutdoor play

Pricing & funding

Charges are based on full day, half day, short day, or weekly full-time rates. Additional fees apply for meals, early starts, late finishes, and extra hours. Funded hours are subject to an hourly service package charge, and surcharges apply for term-time or ad-hoc bookings.

Funding accepted

30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)

Good to know

  • Ad hoc sessions and term-time bookings incur a 10% surcharge.
  • A late payment fee of 5% of the invoice total applies weekly.
  • Late collection is charged per 30 minutes.
  • An hourly fee applies to the Enhanced Service Package for funded hours.

Key facts

Food

Meals are optional and charged separately for all bookings.

Opening hours

7.30 am - 6.00 pm

Term time / All Year

All Year

Registered with Ofsted

2016

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Orchard Trees Childcare

Last inspected 21 January 2025 · Suzzanne Thompson

Overall effectiveness
Good

What it's like to attend

Relationships are nurtured at this friendly and calm nursery. Time is taken to understand children's individual needs. Babies routines are closely linked to those at home, which helps children to settle into the nursery and promotes their well-being. Staff work closely with families to discover children's interests, so they can plan learning that they know they will enjoy. Children make good progress as they work their way through the well-sequenced curriculum.

Inspector highlights

  • Communication and language is a particular focus at this nursery.
  • Staff skilfully include mathematics during everyday activities.
  • The nursery provides activities that broadens children's knowledge of the world they live in.
  • Children practise their independence in numerous ways.
  • There is a good balance of child-led and adult-led activities.

Areas to develop

  • 1support children further during mealtimes to promote their independence, particularly in the use of cutlery
  • 2ensure that all staff benefit from effective supervision sessions so that training is confidently put into practice to further enhance children's learning.
Inspection #10376194 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents speak highly of the dedicated staff and the support offered to families.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Time is taken to understand children's individual needs.

Outdoor space

Children grow vegetables and herbs in the nursery garden, which are then used in the home-cooked lunches. These hands-on experiences encourage a connection to nature and the local community.

Google Reviews of Orchard Trees Childcare

5.0
(10 Google reviews)
Claire
5 months ago

We absolutely love this nursery! The staff are so caring, patient, and genuinely invested in the children’s wellbeing. My little one has come on so much since starting. His confidence, social skills, and development have grown massively. The communication is brilliant, the activities are thoughtful and varied, and the environment feels safe, nurturing, and full of joy. It’s such a comfort knowing he’s looked after by people who really understand and care about him. I couldn’t recommend it more. It’s truly a wonderful nursery!

Read on Google
Nicola Cutting
7 years ago

My son has been attending Orchard Trees for over 2 years and absolutely loves it. The staff are fantastic and really take the time to get to know the children, using their current interests in order to stimulate learning. Children are allocated a key worker who tracks and plans their development, and it is possible to arrange a meeting whenever you would like one. Each child has a learning journey book that tracks their activities; it's great to take home and read through the anecdotes to see what they have been up to. Communication is always great, the nursery uses an app which sends out messages and photos showing you what the children have been doing. Additionally the nursery is really flexible (open 7-6.30) and has been really accommodating in allowing me to change hours due to the fact I am currently on maternity leave. My youngest son will be starting in March and I have absolutely no concerns about him starting and becoming a 'baby owl' (name for baby room!).

Read on Google
Amy Morris
7 years ago

We love Orchard Trees!!! Our son absolutely loves all the staff and they have been such a great support to us over the past year. Our son has come on leaps and bounds with his development since being here and we are really proud of how excited he is to tell us about his day when we pick him up. The food is also wonderful and he has something different everyday, allowing him to try lots of flavours and grow as a little person with tastes and experiences. We would recommend the nursery to anyone!

Read on Google
Chris Adcock
3 years ago

We started our little girl at Orchard trees (baby owls) at the start of the year. And both my wife & I couldn't be happier. The staff are amazing & have been great with her. We naturally worried about how she would be starting out & we didn't need to worry, they have & still do everything they can to make her have the best time during her days. What's also helped is how good the staff are at keeping us updated throughout the day & also when we pick her up at the end of the day. They spend lots of time doing extra activities like visiting the farm next door, and our little girl has come on so much since going. We'd highly recommended Orchard Trees day nursery.

Read on Google
Charlotte Bartram
7 years ago

Lovely nursery, great staff and lots of innovative and creative activities. I love that I can see what they have been up to via the app and staff updates. I have many wonderful pictures painted brought home regularly. Both of my two young children love going and have become very sociable and confident since attending. My 3 year old can already sing the alphabet and is teaching me phonics! It is great for parents also as it has wrap around care, extended hours and optional lunches! Thankyou to all the staff that make it so special for my little boy and girl who have been coming here for 2 years now and we hope to use them for many more!

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Orchard Trees Childcare. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: May 2019

  • January 2025Good
  • May 2019Good

Frequently asked about Orchard Trees Childcare

Nearby day nurseries in York

Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Orchard Trees Childcare.

Are you the owner of this nursery? Claim this listing to manage photos, hours and contact details.

Claim listing

Share this nursery

Send to a partner, friend or family member.

This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more