Nurture in Nature - Forest School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are exceptionally kind and thoughtful to one another. Some children struggle to open their packed lunch and their friends ask 'Would you like some help with that?'. Children feel safe expressing how they feel. Children attempt to write notes, such as 'I hope you like me being here?'. Staff read this aloud and the children respond by saying 'Yes we do'. Children feel safe, welcome and happy at the setting.

Staff successfully build on what children know and can do. They revisit past learning with children. Staff look at photographs with children, taken during a trip to a shop to buy seeds, and remember when they built a sled on a snow day. Children retell the day's events and recall what they did together.

Leaders have implemented many improvements since the last inspection. The curriculum is well-planned and takes into account the needs and interests of all children. Staff complete informative assessments with parents to ascertain children's starting points. Leaders liaise with other settings children attend. They regularly share children's learning and next steps of development.

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

• Children are highly respectful and listen extremely well to each other while playing a game of football. Some children become frustrated because they want to amend the rules of the game. Children are cooperative and patient. They allow their friends to explain their ideas and readily accept the additional rules. Staff are very effective in supporting children to overcome difficulty and find resolutions.
• There is an effective curriculum in place. Staff establish children's starting points when they start at the setting. Leaders monitor assessments to ensure that children are making progress in all seven areas of learning. Staff plan learning experiences around the children's interests. Children develop their knowledge and understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts well. Staff line up numbers in the wrong order and children reorder them correctly. Staff ask, 'What number comes next?'. Children have frequent opportunities to count and measure. They talk about sizes, identifying which is the 'largest' and 'smallest'.
• Children develop their early writing skills. They handle small tongs and sort a basket of pine cones, conkers and corks into separate containers. This develops their dexterity. Staff support children's understanding of the natural world. Children comment 'Conkers come from a horse chestnut tree'. Other children describe that they have seen 'a cork in a bottle with a message in'. Staff embrace children's comments and talk about messages in bottles washed up from the sea. However, children do not have regular opportunity to listen to, or sing songs to develop their communication and language skills further.
• Children learn how to manage their personal care. They learn independence skills when dressing and undressing. Staff encourage children to change out of their outdoor weather gear and wellington boots. They offer encouragement and say, 'Have a go first and see if you can manage it'. Staff praise children when they succeed and this boosts their self-esteem.
• Children are resilient. They explore the forest school and varied terrain with confidence. They pull themselves up muddy banks and try again if they fall. Children learn how to manage risk while they make a bird box. Staff teach children how to use hammers and nails appropriately and they wear safety glasses.
• All children make progress, including those with additional needs. Key persons communicate with other settings children attend. This helps to provide children with quality learning experiences and meets their needs. However, systems are not fully in place to support staff's ongoing professional development, particularly how to promote children's language and communication skills.
• Parents are very happy with the outdoor learning and fresh air their children experience at the setting. They receive regular information about what their children are learning. Parents comment their children 'love it here'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan and organise opportunities for children to listen to and sing songs to further develop their communication and language skills
• develop systems to support staff's ongoing professional development to improve learning outcomes for all children.