Little Forest School on the Green

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this inspirational and nurturing setting. They are cared for by staff who have a deep understanding of their individual needs and promote their development exceptionally well.

Children are highly familiar with the daily routines and they know exactly what is expected of them. Through the staff's expert and consistent guidance, they very quickly learn to receive information as a group and to follow instructions carefully. Older children happily explain to younger children why the rules are in place. For example, they discuss what could happen if rules like climbing high into the trees are not followed. This prepares children exceptionally well for the next stage in their education and for life in the wider community.

The remarkable success of this provision lies in the precision of the planning, which reflects children's unique and evolving needs. Leaders and staff have designed an ambitious, highly effective and well-sequenced curriculum that provides all children with an excellent start on their learning journeys. The curriculum is creatively delivered, largely through forest school activities in local woodland. It aims to develop children's understanding that they are part of a bigger world, alongside their social skills and communication and language.

Children feel secure and valued and demonstrate strong communication and social skills. Staff actively listen to children and involve them in meaningful decision making, such as voting for which book to read during circle time. This inclusive approach fosters children's confidence, self-esteem and sense of belonging. It enables them to express themselves freely and engage in imaginative play, such as confidently pretending to be a grumpy camel or a huge elephant.

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

• Quality of education is a key strength of the setting. Staff consistently build on what children already know to extend their ideas, vocabulary and communication skills. Children are immersed in expertly planned activities and spell-binding storytelling. This sparks their imagination, holds their attention for extensive periods of time and inspires them to be highly motivated and curious learners.
• Communication and language are at the heart of staff's practice. Staff eloquently follow children's interests to further develop language and communication skills. For example, children speak with high levels of confidence and fluency about where you might find different animals in the woods.
• Leaders and staff enrich children's learning experiences through very active involvement in village life and other festivals. For instance, they attend sports day at the local school, take part in the May Pageant and invite parents to share their cultural celebrations with children. This supports children to feel part of the community around them and prepares them exceptionally well for life in the wider community and modern Britain.
• Staff have very high expectations of children's behaviour, and they consistently model kindness and respect. This way, children develop excellent social skills. For example, they respond to a friend who is sad and offer help and ideas to a friend who is stuck on a task.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included. Through meticulous assessment, staff skilfully and quickly identify gaps in children's learning and development. They highly effectively use creative strategies to support their development and integration. Staff seek support from other professionals when required to support children's individual needs.
• Leadership is extremely strong. Leaders have created a highly supportive environment where staff feel genuinely heard and valued. Leaders pay careful attention to staff's development, well-being and workload. This contributes to the very low staff turnover and a harmonious and highly respectful working environment.
• Communication within the nursery is exceptional, and all staff have a clear understanding of the curriculum. Based on their deep understanding of the individual children and child development, they support each other daily to develop ideas and strategies for how to progress each child's learning. This approach supports all children to make the best possible progress.
• Leaders and staff build strong and highly effective relationships with parents and engage them in a dialogue about their children's development, progress and experiences. They send home story bags with ideas for how to continue children's learning at home, and children proudly show off and discuss their creations. This provides children with fully cohesive care and education.