Each Peach Forest School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this exceptional nursery setting. The staff team are inspirational and implement a highly ambitious curriculum. Children arrive full of excitement and anticipation for a fun-filled day ahead. They make outstanding progress from their starting points. Staff work hard to meet the children's learning and development needs through a series of interesting and unique ways. For example, children develop a nurturing approach as they take some responsibility for a variety of rescued animals. They visit the pet shop to learn more about how to care for them. Staff who have horticultural skills teach children how to grow and harvest their own produce. Children are taught how not to be wasteful and how to care for the planet. These skills help to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

Children display exceptionally high levels of engagement as they excitedly join in with storytelling. Their imaginations are fuelled, inspiring them in their own play. A successful targeted approach ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access a fully inclusive curriculum. A highly qualified workforce works alongside parents and children, providing tangible support and an emotional well-being service. This holistic approach ensures that all families feel part of the nursery and are included in their child's rich educational journey.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• One of the many key strengths of the setting is the value that leaders place on their staff team. Leaders encourage staff to play to their strengths and emphasise the importance of staff's well-being. Specialists work alongside staff to help them to effectively manage workloads and provide solutions to creating a healthy work-life balance. Staff feedback that the setting is an incredible place to work and they feel very privileged to receive such support from the caring leadership team.
• The dedicated leadership teamwork in harmony to provide a high quality of care and education for the children of local families. For example, they ensure that the staff team deliver a precise and bespoke learning package to meet the needs of all children. Babies flourish under the care of the warm and gentle staff. Staff provide a very tactile approach, embracing the babies and keeping eye contact when engaging with them. Bonds are extremely strong which helps to give the youngest children the very best start in life. Consequently, babies are content and delightfully happy. They make progress in their independence and confidence.
• Children with SEND are effectively included. Specialist staff are meticulous in their assessment of children's needs. They swiftly identify gaps in children's learning and development and design a programme to promote their integration and development. Parents feedback that staff go 'above and beyond' to ensure that all children have support for their individual needs.
• Children are regularly taken on outings into the local community. They often visit the local garden centre to buy seeds in order to cultivate plants that will eventually be made into a nutritious meal. They take their new ducklings to visit the elderly in a residential home. This helps children to develop an understanding of the lives of people in their locality and they play an important role in the community in which they live.
• Children's behaviour is exemplary. This is demonstrated by children's high levels of awareness that their actions have consequences, and their behaviour is fostered from excellent staff role models. They are exceptionally considerate and kind towards each other. For instance, older children are quick to invite younger children to join in their play. They are keen to embrace and engage with the babies as they come to play in the garden.
• Children benefit from an extremely rich variety of learning experiences. The large outside environment is expertly designed to provide challenge and promote curiosity. Children are confident in taking manageable risks as they climb, jump and swing. They make potions and build dens in the trees. All areas effectively accommodate the needs of any children who need additional support. Children care for their own allotment. They nurture the plants to provide food, which they later cook with the support of the resident chef. Children bake for their families and proudly take seedlings and recipes home, to be enjoyed and discussed with others.