Woodpecker Forest School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders monitor children's progress robustly. Staff know the children and their families very well. There is a genuine community, and children show a real sense of belonging. Children are happy and clearly feel safe, secure and well cared for by staff. All staff know all children's interests, barriers to learning and needs. Every interaction children receive is highly impactful and promotes development, knowledge and progress. It builds superbly on what children already know. Staff are consistent in their management of behaviour, their support of children's communication skills and management of the environment. This supports all children to achieve as children demonstrate high levels of confidence and independence.

Staff work well with parents to identify barriers to learning and adapt support to best promote progress. Professional development training is targeted to best support children's needs. This helps all children to make rapid progress from their starting points. When staff identify an aspect of their teaching they would like to further strengthen, leaders are quick to respond. For example, staff are due to undertake sign language training to further enhance the high-quality communication and language support already in place.

Leaders use early years pupil premium funding to best support disadvantaged children. For example, they consider children's individual interests, care and learning needs. They purchase enquiry equipment such as binoculars, compasses and magnifying glasses to help increase the engagement and concentration levels of children.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, thrive. The curriculum intent is clear, and learning opportunities support the needs of every child. Staff adapt their interactions well to help children overcome barriers to their learning. For example, as children arrive, staff use children's interests to focus them. They have objects ready to redirect children's attention and settle them swiftly.

Children enjoy a curriculum that is well considered and is highly impactful in supporting all children to achieve. Staff are aspirational for all children. They know every child well and build strong bonds with them that promote progress and wellbeing to flourish. Staff embed daily routines and expectations, and these help children play and learn with confidence. Interactions between staff and children consistently build on what children already know and can do. Teaching is purposeful. Staff value every child's voice. They listen intently to children's thoughts and ideas and show such appreciation to them for sharing. This motivates children to learn and greatly promotes their communication and language skills. Staff use highly effective questioning to extend children's knowledge, understanding and critical thinking. For example, as children make hot chocolate for snack time, staff encourage them to think about quantity and why they need more today.

Achievement: Strong standard

The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets every child's needs. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make rapid progress from their starting points. Every interaction between staff and children is meaningful and targeted. Children show high levels of curiosity as they play. They regulate their emotions effectively and show pride in their achievements. Children demonstrate confidence, perseverance and resilience, showing a consistently positive growth mindset.

Children's speech and language are developing extremely well. They are using an increasing range of vocabulary, speak confidently, listen attentively and take turns in conversations. Children are independent in their personal care. They confidently manage routines and understand how to keep themselves and others safe. Children demonstrate an impressive understanding of healthy lifestyles. They challenge themselves in their play and approach activities in full belief that they can succeed. Children are superbly prepared for their next stage of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff create a learning environment that is highly inclusive. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviours. They embed routines that help all children, particularly those children new to the setting, build familiarity in the learning activities they experience. Staff constantly model positive interactions and build secure bonds with children in their care. They encourage children to be respectful and thoughtful towards each other, and children treat each other with kindness and care. Staff are consistent in their expectations of behaviours and model the excitement and joy of learning in nature.

Staff spend time intentionally supporting children to recognise and manage their feelings and behaviours. They adjust activities and their interactions to meet the needs of all children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and this helps all learners thrive. For example, when children eagerly share their thoughts and ideas during story time, staff sensitively acknowledge their feelings, while helping to build children's respect for each other by stressing the importance of providing everyone with an opportunity to speak.

Leaders prioritise attendance. They are swift to follow up on unexpected absence and check a child's welfare. Leaders are vigilant to patterns of absence so they can be proactive and offer family support to enable children's best levels of attendance and achievement.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders help children's wellbeing to flourish. They model the joy and benefits of fresh air, physical activity, friendship and valuing every member of their community. Staff build secure relationships with children. They know children's characters and needs well, and this helps children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. On arrival to camp, children hang their bags on pegs and remove their coats if they wish to. They immediately run off and engage in activities of their choosing with their friends. Children sit together on the nets they climb and chat about spiders on the nest. They use words such as 'happy' as they tell visitors that spiders like to eat flies. Others express their emotions as they jump up and down on springy branches poking out the ground. Staff equip children with skills and knowledge to engage in potentially risky play. For example, children solve problems as they climb trees. Staff teach children strategies to support safety. Children exclaim, 'You can't step on tiny branches because they snap, and you can only climb as high as the ribbon.'

Boundaries and routines are well embedded and help children to thrive. Staff supervise children well as they eat and promote safer eating expectations, such as remaining seated while eating. During snack time, staff place themselves well to meet all children's needs. They support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to drink safely, supporting their grasp of the hot chocolate cup to promote success. Staff are quick to praise children's efforts, and this clearly boosts children's self-confidence.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders' communication with staff is highly supportive in providing all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with high-quality provision. Workload is carefully considered by leaders and ensures staff have time and opportunity to prioritise interactions with children and promote progress. Leaders establish secure working relationships with parents that are open, honest and prioritise children. Communication with parents and carers is regular and purposeful. It promotes a shared understanding of children's learning experiences and enjoyment when either at home or the setting. This supports continuity in care.

Staff supervisions further enhance the highly impactful teaching staff already provide. Leaders are responsive to staff requests for professional development and recognise that targeted learning courses best promote progress for children. For example, staff have completed forest school training, and some are soon to take part in a course on signing so communication strategies children use can be best supported. Staff wellbeing is high. Staff are highly trained and feel leaders value their expertise.

Leaders are reflective and adapt provision to best meet need. For example, staff wished to further promote a smooth transition to camp when children arrive in the mornings. They recognised that children did not enjoy the feel of the rope train and made adaptions, such as adding hanging animal figures from it. Children now arrive eager to select an animal toy to hold. They keep focus and position as they walk and enjoy chatting to friends about which colour and kind of animal they selected.