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HARE Forest School - Mitcheldean

HARE Forest School - Mitcheldean is a pre-school in Mitcheldean for children aged 4 to 11, with 48 registered places. Ofsted report card, 12 August 2026: Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met.

Horsepool Bottom Nature Reserve, Jubilee Road, Mitcheldean, GL17 0EE

Key facts

Type
Pre-school (Sessional day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
4 to 11 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
48 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
3 September 2024 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:30 - 17:30,Saturday : 10:30 - 13:30,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:30 - 15:30,Monday : 12:15 - 15:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 12 August 2026

Who runs it

HARE Forest School - Mitcheldean is run by HARE Forest School CIC (Ofsted register).

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Expected standard
  • Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
  • Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
  • Leadership and governance: Expected standard
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 12 August 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy, confident and enthusiastic as they explore the freedom of the forest school environment. They make meaningful choices about how they spend their time, whether climbing trees, building dens, hunting for bugs, whittling or helping to prepare food. Children explore the mud kitchen and digging area, while others relax in hammocks or read books in quieter spaces. Staff successfully balance this freedom with clear expectations for safety. Children understand the boundaries of the site and why they need to consider hazards when they play. This helps children to develop independence, confidence and an age-appropriate understanding of how to manage risk.

Children experience a sense of belonging. They enjoy warm and positive relationships with staff and one another. Children describe staff as 'friendly and helpful', saying that being at the forest school makes them feel relaxed. They confidently identify staff they can approach for help. Children learn to be kind, share and cooperate. For example, they work together to carry pallets safely. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate alongside their peers and benefit from the same rich experiences. The variety of experiences and spaces enables children to follow their interests and participate in ways that suit their individual needs.

Attentive staff prioritise children's safety, dignity and wellbeing. Leaders adapt the environment thoughtfully when circumstances change. For example, they have relocated the toileting area to provide greater privacy for children. Leaders have adapted children's experiences during exceptionally hot weather because of increased wildfire risk. Children feel safe and valued and enjoy the varied opportunities that the forest school provides.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have created an inclusive environment where children are welcomed and valued and participate fully in the experiences available. They gather information about children's individual needs by using a colour-coded system to identify where additional support may be required. The special educational needs coordinators gather further information from parents and carers before children attend. This helps staff to consider appropriate support, settling-in arrangements and transitions for children. Children benefit from a flexible environment, where active experiences work alongside quieter spaces for those who need opportunities to rest.

Leaders work effectively to reduce barriers to children's participation. A significant proportion of children attend through the holiday activities and food programme. These children benefit from nutritious food and access the same outdoor experiences, resources and opportunities as their peers. The setting does not currently receive early years pupil premium funding, but demonstrates an understanding of how this would be used to provide resources based on children's interests and needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) participate alongside their peers and benefit from the opportunities available. Parents value staff's understanding of children's individual needs.

However, information gathered about children's SEND is not consistently understood across the staff team. For example, some staff are not clear about the individual needs of all children attending who require additional support. Leaders do not consistently ensure that all staff have the information they need to provide appropriate support and remove potential barriers to children's participation and wellbeing.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders establish clear routines that help children to understand what is expected of them. At the start of each session, children gather for circle time. Staff explain the experiences available, reinforce the boundaries of the forest and remind children what to do when they hear the whistle. Children understand these routines and respond positively to the freedom and responsibility that staff give them.

Staff consistently promote kindness, cooperation and respect. Children understand that everyone should be included, explaining that 'everyone is allowed'. They generally share resources, cooperate and help one another without needing adult direction. Staff model the behaviour they expect from children. They demonstrate how to take part safely in experiences such as whittling. Staff calmly reinforce expectations while considering children's individual needs.

Children typically demonstrate positive attitudes throughout the session. They independently select experiences, sustain their engagement and move confidently between areas. Leaders promote attendance by providing a varied range of enjoyable and engaging outdoor experiences that encourage children to attend and return to the provision. At the end of the session, children come together to share what they have done and enjoyed. This helps them to reflect and listen to others. Children understand why rules are necessary and explain that adult supervision helps protect them from hazards. Established routines and expectations are beginning to help children behave responsibly and develop increasing independence.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children are happy and secure at the forest school. Staff prioritise their welfare and wellbeing, and are attentive and responsive. Children confidently seek reassurance and support from staff. They know who to approach if they are worried. Staff encourage children to express their needs and make choices, helping them to develop confidence and emotional security.

Children are developing an understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They recognise hazards and understand why adult supervision is important while they experience appropriate risks. Mealtimes are relaxed and sociable. Children help to prepare lunch and independently choose from the food available. They develop confidence and independence through familiar routines. Staff provide nutritious food and remain attentive to children who may require additional support. Children also understand the importance of hygiene, including washing their hands before eating.

Children typically develop warm and trusting relationships with staff and confidently communicate their needs. A key-person system is established for early years children. However, these arrangements are not yet consistently embedded. Leaders do not consistently ensure that early years children develop secure attachments through positive relationships with their key person.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious for children, and have established a welcoming and inclusive provision where children benefit from a wide range of outdoor experiences. They make decisions with children's best interests at the centre. Leaders consistently deploy 4 staff. This supports effective oversight across the forest environment and enables staff to provide appropriate supervision and support for children. Staff use walkie-talkies and regular communication to coordinate their responsibilities across the site.

Leaders value the expertise of their experienced staff team. Staff have relevant qualifications and designated responsibilities, which help them to fulfil their roles effectively. Leaders consider staff wellbeing and workload when deploying staff and organising responsibilities. Collaborative working enables staff to seek support from one another and leaders when needed.

Parents and carers speak highly of the provision and value staff's understanding of their children's individual needs. They describe how their children benefit from attending, including developing confidence and applying the safety rules they learn at forest school in other environments. Leaders understand the provision's strengths and recognise where practice can be strengthened further. They recognise the need to ensure that information about children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is consistently understood by all staff and that key-person arrangements are more firmly embedded.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should ensure that all staff understand children's individual needs so that they can consistently provide appropriate support and remove barriers to children's participation and wellbeing.
  • Leaders should consistently embed the key-person system so that early years children extend their secure attachments through positive relationships with their key person.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 12 August 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Other nurseries nearby

  • Mitcheldean Early Learners - Day nursery, Mitcheldean GL17 0JS, ages 2 to 4, 26 places, 0.8 miles
    Ofsted, 17 May 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Sunbeams Day Nursery - Day nursery, Mitcheldean GL17 0BS, ages 1 to 4, 68 places, 0.8 miles
    Ofsted, 14 November 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Forest Pulse - Pre-school, Mitcheldean GL17 0DD, 30 places, 1.1 miles
  • Mia Rose Nursery Mitcheldean - Day nursery, Mitcheldean GL17 0DD, ages 0 to 4, 65 places, 1.1 miles
    Ofsted, 18 March 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Hilltop Children's Centre Pre-School - Pre-school, Cinderford GL14 2QA, ages 2 to 4, 24 places, 1.8 miles
    Ofsted, 1 December 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Schools nearby

HARE Forest School - Mitcheldean on the Ofsted website