Nursery Advice
Claim Your Nursery

Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead

Ofsted: Good
(Jul 2022)
·
5.0(35 parent reviews)
·Woodland By East Grinstead Sports Club, Saint Hill Road, East Grinstead, RH19 4JU · West Sussex
Number of places
30 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jul 2022
Local authority
West Sussex

About this day nursery

Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten offers an immersive outdoor learning experience for children aged 2 and over, with locations in East Grinstead and Haywards Heath. The kindergarten embraces the belief that nature is the ultimate classroom, providing a dynamic environment where children can explore, discover, and develop a deep appreciation for the natural world.

Open 46 weeks a year, Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm, Treehoppers encourages 'wild play and learning' through activities such as den building, bug hunting, art and crafts, campfire cooking, and woodwork. The dedicated team, many of whom are trained Forest School Leaders, fosters curiosity, independence, and environmental respect.

5 years. Additionally, exciting holiday clubs are available for young adventurers up to 8 years old.

The East Grinstead site, established in 2018, is set within 33 acres of woodland at East Grinstead Sports Club, while the Haywards Heath location, opened in 2021 at Borde Hill Gardens, offers a vast space with regular visits to the gardens. Treehoppers also partners with Dimensions, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism, who assist with gardening and engage in play with the children.

Our ethos

Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten believes nature is the ultimate classroom, embracing 'wild play and learning' through outdoor exploration and activities. They foster curiosity, independence, and environmental respect, with a dedicated team including trained Forest School Leaders.

What it's like

Children develop excellent physical skills, balancing on logs, climbing trees, and navigating the outdoors safely. They are confident to take risks and remind each other of safety rules. Children show high levels of engagement, are eager to try new things, and confidently express their ideas, leading their play.

Forest SchoolOutdoor LearningAges 2 and overHoliday ClubHome Education Group

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

Key facts

Opening hours

8 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday, 46 weeks a year

Age range

2 and over (kindergarten); 4.5+ (home educated group); up to 8 (holiday club)

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2018

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead

Last inspected 6 July 2022 · Jade Orosz

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children develop excellent physical skills, balancing on logs, climbing trees, and navigating the outdoors safely. They are confident to take risks and remind each other of safety rules. Children show high levels of engagement, are eager to try new things, and confidently express their ideas, leading their play.

Inspector highlights

  • Children develop excellent physical skills and take risks safely.
  • Children demonstrate high levels of engagement in play and learning.
  • Partnerships with parents are very strong, with regular communication and feedback sought.
  • The special educational needs coordinator works closely with other professionals and provides very good emotional support for vulnerable children.
  • Staff report good support for their well-being and are proud of the setting, creating a positive atmosphere.

Areas to develop

  • 1develop strategies to support children's behaviour so that they clearly understand what is expected of them
  • 2strengthen conversations and interactions with children, particularly during group times, to deepen children's knowledge and stretch their learning to an even higher level.
Inspection #10191131 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The special educational needs coordinator works closely with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She focuses her professional development to broaden her knowledge and skills, for example, by completing training on the impact of trauma and attachment, which has led to very good emotional support for vulnerable children.

Outdoor space

Children develop excellent physical skills by balancing on logs, climbing trees, and navigating the outside environment. They are confident to take risks in their play and understand how to do so safely, climbing high tree stumps and leaping off them. Children spend time playing in the fresh air and learning about the natural world, such as watching blackberries ripen.

Parent Reviews of Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead

5.0
(35)
Beth Shafiq
7 months ago

I honestly cannot recommend this lovely place enough. Our son started here when he was 2 and a half and left when he was nearly 5 and a half. The staff are absolutely incredible, always put the children first and are so friendly and helpful. We really had the best experience here and our son thrived. He was well looked after, well prepared for school, he formed bonds with the staff and the staff helped us in recognising that he needed help with speech and language and that he has additional needs. They attended meetings with us, wrote information for us to be submitted for his EHCP, fought his corner and did the work that the SLT recommend with him in nursery. He still talks to fondly about nursery and we are hoping to send our second son there when he is old enough. It's definitely a unique place, but in our opinion it's the best place for a child to spend their time, outdoors is so much better than being stuck indoors, plus kids absolutely love being outdoors. Treehoppers give them the freedom to do things they want to, to explore and to take risks too. We are so very grateful to Treehoppers for looking after our son so well❤️

Read on Google
Sascha Michel
8 months ago

We’ve been absolutely thrilled with Treehoppers since our son joined, and it's truly a five-star experience! The staff’s warmth and attentiveness helped him settle in from day one and he’s brimming with confidence. Their approach to wild play and creativity has made such a positive difference in his motor skills, imagination, and social development. We feel incredibly lucky to have found such a caring and enriching environment and will happily recommend Treehoppers to any family looking for more than just a preschool. Thank you for nurturing our little explorer and making these memories so special.

Read on Google
Molly Taylor
10 months ago

I cannot recommend Treehoppers highly enough - the camps are so lovely and well equipped, the staff are professional, kind and supportive and my daughters days are full of fun, adventure, incredible activities and excitement, while growing and learning so much too! After a terrible first experience of another early years setting, Treehoppers has restored my faith and I am so grateful. An amazing place where kids can be kids - if you are considering a forest school setting, there isn’t a better one - thank you :)

Read on Google
Lauren Zielinski
9 months ago

Wonderful setting for children, encourages independence and confidence. My son thrived and I want to say a huge thank you to all who worked there to create a fun, imaginative, creative and safe environment for my son over the last few years. He will miss it immensely.

Read on Google
Abi Laker
10 months ago

Treehoppers is the most wonderful start for young children in their experience of the world outside of home. The staff go above and beyond to understand each child individually. My Son is extremely high energy and they have found so many ways to support him in being active in positive and meaningful ways and he has progressed so much in the year he has been there! I love that nature is incorporated into everything they do! There are daily updates with photos via a secure website and it is so lovely to have a glimpse of what my child is doing. I can't recommend it enough and suggest visiting on one of their stay and play sessions because I have no doubt you will fall in love with the magic of forest school like I did. Oh and the additional hours for early starts and later pick ups are a God send for working parents too!

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Most recent inspection

6 July 2022

Good

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

Frequently asked about Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead

Nearby day nurseries in East Grinstead

Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead.

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