We are very proud of the fact that we are a personal, family run nursery, with its history going back to 1948. In that year Dorothy McKenzie, the mother of The Learning Tree’s founder Joan, established the first McKenzie Day Nursery in Priory Road West Hampstead.
The McKenzie Day Nursery in 1948 and founder Dorothy McKenzie:
In 1954 the nursery moved to Abbey Road, where it remained for 40 years until 1994 when we moved to our present site in Quex Road after Joan McKenzie took over the running, and re-named it The Learning Tree. In October 2016, Joan passed ownership of the nursery on to her sister-in-law Celia McKenzie, maintaining the family-owned tradition.
So to date we have provided 76 years of uninterrupted nursery-age childcare. In that time we have had generations of parents bringing their children to the nursery who themselves were at the nursery as children. In July 2024, we received a GOOD rating at our Ofsted inspection.
The fundamental aim has always been to provide a very personal approach to childcare for the local community at reasonable cost, and we continue with that ethos to this day.
We consider that our staff team is our most important resource. We have an exceptional record of staff retention and continuity, giving confidence to children and to parents. All our team form positive relationships with all the children: additionally each child is allocated a member of staff as their key worker with additional responsibilities.
Celia McKenzie – Nursery Proprietor
My great passion is working with the children to help them to achieve their best potential at the Early Years stage. I have two grown up children of my own and a granddaughter, a Masters Degree in International English Teaching, NVQ level 3 Early Years Education, and over twenty years experience working professionally with children. The Learning Tree’s greatest asset is the enthusiastic and motivated staff team, who all love their work. It is important to me to have a close relationship with parents, their children and the staff, so together we plan the best for each individual child.
Joan McKenzie – Nursery Consultant
Having retired from ownership of the nursery, I now act in a consultative role as I like to keep in touch with The Learning Tree after spending so many happy years overseeing its development and maintaining its ethos as a close knit family run nursery. I have a family of five adult children including a daughter with visual and physical disabilities. My greatest reward is when parents tell me how much their children enjoy coming to the Learning Tree, as it is only through being happy and secure that young children will flourish and achieve their potential. It has been wonderful to see children (and even parents too!) grow in confidence during their time here.