Little Adventurers Forest School (Walesby) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive for the day. They are eager to see their friends and happily leave their parents. Children spend their day outside, exploring the woodlands. Staff support children to recognise risk in the environment and implement rules to keep children safe. They ensure that children understand not to 'touch, lick or pick' any of the vegetation that they come across in the forest. Children are developing a good understanding of the natural world. They confidently recall the name of different types of mushrooms that they see and there is much excitement when the children find and identify a hawkmoth caterpillar.

Staff support children to build positive attitudes to learning. While children use large wood bricks to build, the staff encourage children to talk about what they are constructing. Children show their imagination as they talk about the robot they are making and how many batteries the robot will need to give it power. Staff encourage children to talk about the different size of batteries they are using and to count how many large, medium and small batteries they have. Children sort the wooden bricks that they have identified as batteries in to piles that correspond with the different sizes and count them. Staff extend the children's learning further and support them to add the totals together to see the full amount of batteries that the robot needs. Children demonstrate their positive attitudes to learning through high levels of curiosity, concentration, and enjoyment.

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

• Leaders and staff have worked hard to implement a meaningful, well-sequenced curriculum that reflects the uniqueness of the woodland environment where the setting is located. There is a strong focus on children feeling safe and secure, being confident, independent and healthy. As a result, children become curious, learners, who are willing to have a go and overcome problems.
• Staff know their key children well. They use regular observations and assessment to help identify what children already know and can do, and what they need to learn next. However, other staff that work with the children are not aware of children's next steps in learning. In addition, staff do not share information with parents about how they can support children's next steps in learning at home. This means that children are not consistently supported to make progress in their development.
• Staff skilfully promote children's communication. They place a strong emphasis on supporting children to speak, listen and follow instructions. Children listen to a story being read about pets. The staff encourage the children to join in with the story by asking them open-ended questions and encouraging them to share what they know about the different type of animals. Children are confident to share information with the group about their pets.
• Staff have regular supervision and receive feedback on their practice. Leaders encourage and support staff to take part in development opportunities that help them to enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff comment that they feel well supported and valued in their role. Additionally, they outline how they work well as a team and learn from each other. They share their strengths by mentoring and coaching staff that are new or that are less confident in an area of practice.
• Overall, children behave well. Older children demonstrate care for each other and include the younger children in their play. When minor conflict occurs, the staff are quick to intervene and support children to share, take turns and play together. However, staff do not support children consistently to understand the impact of their behaviour, and why certain behaviour is not acceptable.
• Staff encourage children to complete small tasks for themselves. All of the children help in the preparation of snack. Children are learning why it is important to develop good hygiene practices. Staff talk to the children about the need to wash their hands in order to prevent germs from spreading and making them poorly. Children know and understand that they must not entre the area where the staff cook their snack on the campfire.
• Staff have positive relationships with parents and carers. They ensure that parents receive regular updates about their child's development and achievements. Parents and carers speak fondly about the staff that care for their children. They comment that children are happy and enjoy attending the setting. Children tell the inspector that they enjoy being at the forest school, they take part in lots of fun activities and enjoy playing with their friends.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the procedures for sharing information between staff about children's development and next steps, so children can be consistently supported in their learning
• share information with parents to help them extend their children's learning at home
• support staff to be consistent in the implementation of behaviour management strategies.