Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead

Woodland By East Grinstead Sports, Saint Hill Road, East Grinstead RH19 4JU
Review Us
9.6 7 Reviews
  • Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead, East Grinstead
Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten is based in woodland at East Grinstead Sports Club. Established in 2018, the children have a fantastic outdoor space to explore & play in. Offering a unique and very different type of early years education, Treehoppers children are able to spend their days in nature building dens, hunting for bugs, climbing, creating, learning to use tools safely and enjoying campfire cooking.

External providers also come in to run sports activities & music. The staff team is highly qualified, most are Forest School leaders (or training to be) as well as early years teachers and they offer a high adult to child ratio.

Treehoppers have shelters in the woodland and a large, cosy yurt on the adjacent field to shelter in when the weather is too wild to be outdoors - but most of the time they keep their waterproofs & wellies on during the rainy days and enjoy the mud & puddles!

Treehoppers is open 8am-4pm, Monday to Thursday for 46 weeks of the year. Alongside the nursery, a holiday club for primary aged children runs in the Easter and Summer holiday. A home ed group for children aged 5-7 is due to start in September 2024. Families interested in finding out more can join a 'stay & play' session to look round the site and meet the team.
Show Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead on the Map

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Neeka Rapley-Hawkins (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 8

Total Places for Children

  • 36

Age Range

  • from 2 years 0 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • Fee information available on request. We also accept Early Years Funding (15 & 30 hours) including the new 2 year funding.

Opening Times

  • Monday 08:00-16:00
    Tuesday 08:00-16:00
    Wednesday 08:00-16:00
    Thursday 08:00-16:00

When Closed

  • Bank holidays, October Half term, Christmas, February Half term & 2 weeks in August

Parking

  • Parking available in the Sports Club grounds.

Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead Reviews (7)

9.6

Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead has a Review Score of 9.6 (9.623) out of 10, based on 7 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead has 7 reviews.

Overall Experience
  • 7
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Date Published
  • 7
  • 3
  • 3
  • 7
  • 0
Reviewer Connection to Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead
  • 7
Total of 7, showing 1-7
Review from Lauren Z (Mother of Child) published on 1 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has just left this setting after two years of fun filled, adventure packed days. They staff are fantastic with the children and so attentive. I have no regrets sending my child here, one of the best decisions I made. He grew in confidence and Independence and made some wonderful friendships.
Absolutely thrived. The outdoors calms them but I turn let's them get all their energy out. Cooking round the campfire, woodwork, sawing, nature walks, bug hunts and more. I highly recommend visiting a stay and play session. It's where children should be.
Reply from Suzanne Mark, Owner at Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead
Thank you so much Lauren for your lovely review! So good to hear he had such a great time at Treehoppers and we all really appreciate you taking the time to leave us a review and passing on your…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Molly T (Mother of Child) published on 9 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
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.
Reply from Suzanne Mark, Owner at Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We really appreciate it and are so glad you have had such a great experience with us. Thanks again
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Abi L (Mother of Child) published on 7 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
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!
Reply from Suzanne Mark, Owner at Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead
Thank you for such a lovely review! We really appreciate you taking the time to do this and it's so lovely to hear what a positive experience Treehoppers has been
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Heidi B (Mother of Child) published on 16 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We really love Treehoppers for our son! The wonderful staff have done wonders to get our somewhat shy boy out of his shell and he is so positive about the setting and the lovely staff!
It's a beautiful setting with a nice mix of fun and calm. So happy he had a chance to spend time there and we are
grateful how much confidence he has been able to gain there!
Reply from Suzanne Mark, Owner at Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review! So glad you have had such a positive experience at Treehoppers, thanks again.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from B H (Mother of Child) published on 7 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Words cannot express how incredibly impressed I am with Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten. My child's experience here has been nothing short of extraordinary. The team's dedication is unparalleled; they go above and beyond to ensure a seamless transition into the nursery setting, providing unwavering
support to both parents and children alike. Rain, snow or shine, my child eagerly runs into camp every morning and each day returns home brimming with joy and fulfilment. Treehoppers Kindergarten has truly set the standard for excellence in early childhood education.
Reply from Suzanne Mark, Owner at Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We really appreciate you taking the time to leave one for us and for sharing your experiences.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Heather B (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has attended Treehoppers for a year and a half. He has a great time there and is always excited to attend. The staff are great - very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about child development. I thoroughly recommend it!
Reply from Suzanne Mark, Owner at Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead
Thank you so much, Heather! We really appreciate parent feedback and it is great to hear that you are so happy with Treehoppers. Thanks again.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Isabella F (Mother of Child) published on 29 January 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All round good experience. A lovely friendly setting, well organised with good communication. Excellent updates after each day on the online tapestry platform. Kind staff and fun atmosphere and activities. Allowing the children to be themselves and experience freedom. A great protected outdoor space
and enclosure with a yurt. Perhaps more attention to nature crafts in Resources.
But minor points. Highly recommend this lovely setting. Thank you all.
Reply from Suzanne Mark, Owner at Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review - we really appreciate it. So glad to hear you had such a positive experience!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Current Review Score: 9.6 (9.623)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.6 (9.623) out of 10 for Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 7 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.7 out of 5 from 7 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.951 for Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead is calculated as follows: ( (77 Excellents x 5) + (4 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 81 Ratings = 4.951
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 4.672 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead is based on 7 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 3.7
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 36 number of registered child places is 7.2. 7 Positive Reviews ÷ 7.2 = 0.972
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

Loading

Loading Loading

Loading

Loading

Awards / Recognitions (0)

Meet the Team (7)

Neeka

Neeka Rapley-Hawkins

Job Title: Manager & Senco Joined: 2019

Neeka joined Treehoppers in 2019, having worked for many years as both a childminder and a support worker for adults with additional needs. She has a Level 3 in Early Years, is a qualified Level 3 Forest School Leader and has also completed ongoing additional training in her role as Senco.

Leane

Leane Bryant-Mace

Job Title: Lead Practitioner (under 3's) Joined: 2021

Leane is Treehoppers Deputy Manager and also leads our younger children's camp: Robins. She has a Level 5 qualification in Early years and many years of experience working in nursery & pre-school settings. Since joining us she has also completed her Level 2 in Forest School.

Lottie

Lottie Alderson

Job Title: Lead Practitioner Joined: 2022

Lottie joined the Treehoppers team in 2022, after moving back to the UK. She has a Steiner Early Years qualification and a background working in nurseries here and abroad. Since joining the team she has completed her Level 3 Forest School qualification and leads our Oak camp, for the children aged over 3.

Hannah

Hannah Ridgers

Job Title: Forest Kindergarten Lead Practitioner Joined: 2021

Hannah is our Lead Practitioner and first joined the team in 2021. She has a Level 3 Early Years qualification and has also gained her Level 2 award in Forest School.
She has experience with working with both the younger & older children at Treehoppers, & has also spent time helping at our Haywards Heath site & holiday club.

Harriet

Harriet Scott

Job Title: Forest Kindergarten Practitioner Joined: 2020

Harri works with our older children in Oak camp and is a qualified primary school teacher.

Neil

Neil Trotter

Job Title: Forest Kindergarten Practitioner Joined: 2019

Neil works with our younger children in Robins camp. He joined us initially as a Forest School Leader (as he is Level 3 qualified) and has then gone on to complete his Level 3 apprenticeship in Early Years.

Ulla

Ulla Krause-Price

Job Title: Forest Kindergarten Practitioner Joined: 2022

Ulla joined the team in 2022 and is now working with our younger children in Robins camp.

Frequently Asked Questions about Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead

What is the Age Range of Children that Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead accepts?

Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead accepts Children aged from 2 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead Open?

Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead is open: Monday 08:00-16:00, Tuesday 08:00-16:00, Wednesday 08:00-16:00, Thursday 08:00-16:00.

How many Children does Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead have capacity for?

Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead has capacity for a total of 36 Children.

How far is Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead to the centre of East Grinstead?

1.4 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten, East Grinstead has an Enhanced Service - more info.