Little Forest Folk

Little Forest Folk Rocks Lane Multi Sports Centre, Rocks Lane, London SW13 0DG

p.1

Inspection date 12 April 2019 Previous inspection date Not applicable

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Not applicable Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

n Staff plan comprehensively and provide an excellent variety of activities. They assess children thoroughly and make highly effective use of this information to ensure that children receive excellent challenges. Children make exceptional progress. n Children demonstrate excellent skills in using technology. For example, they use voice recording tablets to records sounds of nature, such as birdsong, and use cameras to take pictures of different varieties of minibeasts. n Staff manage children's behaviour very successfully. For instance, they teach children to try to resolve problems for themselves by questioning them effectively. Children behave in excellent ways. n Staff ensure that children develop healthy daily routines. For example, they provide freshly prepared, very healthy, nutritious lunches and children have a wide variety of excellent physical challenges in a natural environment throughout the day.

p.1

This provision is outstanding

n The management team monitors all aspects of practice very effectively. For instance, an education lead supports staff in planning and moderates all assessments robustly. She analyses children's progress to ensure that they can provide excellent support to children needing extra help. n Staff have excellent partnerships with parents. They have very flexible and excellent ways to keep them regularly informed about children's progress.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

n continue to develop links with the local community to enhance children's understanding of features of their local environment further.

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n The inspector observed the interaction between staff and children and spoke with the children when appropriate. n The inspector tracked the progress of several children. n The inspector reviewed some documentation and held a discussion with the manager. n The inspector spoke to parents and staff and considered their views during the inspection.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

The manager evaluates the setting robustly and has highly ambitious goals to build in future improvements. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have excellent knowledge of what they need to do if they have concerns about a child's welfare. The manager has extremely robust risk assessments covering all aspects of children's safety in the forest, including risky play and tree climbing. The adult-to-child ratio is high, supporting children's safety further. The manager meets with staff individually and regularly to accurately identify their work and training needs. For instance, staff have attended a very wide range of innovative and skill enhancing courses, including supporting children's early literacy skills through helicopter story telling.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff support children's creative development in exceptional ways. For example, children make their own 'paint' by mixing earth and water and use twigs to paint pictures on paper. Staff teach children to have an excellent understanding of the natural world. For instance, children use magnifying glasses and charts to search for minibeasts by type and habitat. They have exceptional knowledge of names and varieties of minibeasts. However, the manager recognises that in terms of increasing children's understanding of the features of their local community beyond the forest, further links could be established to support their learning even further. Children have a wide variety of excellent, interesting physical challenges. For instance, they learn to balance very skilfully and climb confidently on fallen trees. They move confidently in different ways, such as weaving in and out of and around trees.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff know children exceptionally well and offer comprehensive settling-in sessions. Children are fully comfortable with routines and feel very secure. Staff interact warmly with children and value them highly as individuals. Children are extremely confident and very highly motivated to learn. They have excellent safety awareness. For instance, when asked why boundary flags are needed in the forest, they say 'for children to stop and come back' and 'to stop children getting lost'. Staff teach children to assess minor risks for themselves, such as how high they can climb up a tree, and children take part in daily forest checks for litter. They gain exceptional independence skills. Children know how to dress themselves appropriately for different weather conditions and they help to prepare healthy snacks.

p.3

Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children have excellent early literacy skills. Older children tell their own stories and then act them out in great detail. All children learn to recognise their names when they arrive each day. Children count securely and are able to do simple addition and subtraction. Children highly respect themselves and others from a variety of backgrounds. They share and take turns exceptionally well. Staff support younger children to learn these skills.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY546743 Local authority Richmond Upon Thames Inspection number 10091373 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 - Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 33 Name of registered person Little Forest Folk Too Ltd

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07905757422

p.4

reference number

Little Forest Folk registered in 2017. It is located in Barnes, in the London Borough of Richmond-Upon-Thames. The setting is open on each weekday from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year and is closed on public bank holidays. There are eight staff including the manager. The setting accepts funding for free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting follows a forest school education philosophy.

p.4

reference number

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

p.4

reference number

procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: www.ofsted.gov.uk/user .

p.5

reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.5