Little Tree Woodland School

Inspection of Little Tree Woodland School Potager Garden, High Cross, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5RF

p.1

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

p.1

The provision is outstanding

Children excitedly enter the inviting and thoughtfully planned woodland school. They are very confident and secure, as highly experienced adults are on hand to greet and support them. Children feel safe to explore and challenge themselves, as they know caring adults keep a watchful eye and support sensitively when needed. All children flourish and reach their maximum potential, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is because there is an extremely well planned and sequenced curriculum. Highly qualified staff design and plan the routine and activities that ensure all children progress in all areas of the early years foundation stage. Four-year-olds run off to the vegetable garden to hunt for caterpillars to feed the devil's coach horse beetle they had found. They share their knowledge and understanding with each other and discuss the importance of looking after the beetle. Three-year-olds practise using an 'articulated digger' with

p.2

The provision is outstanding

support. They manage to manoeuvre the arms to successfully move sand around.

p.2

The provision is outstanding

Children support each other and are very polite. They understand the rules of the setting and behave extremely well. Adults reinforce these rules skilfully throughout each day to keep children safe and to build their understanding of others. Children develop excellent independence skills. They pump fresh water to wash their hands before meals and follow recipes to make play dough and bread. They help cook the bread safely on the fire.

p.2

need to do better?

n Skilful adults differentiate their teaching for each child incredibly well. They know the children extremely well and share next steps as a team. This means they can support each child to progress with their particular next steps. For example, four-year-old children are drawing detailed pictures of bugs and painting them. Adults remind them about the antennae by pointing to them on a picture and asking what they are. Three-year-olds are exploring marks and colours the paint makes. Adults comment on the lines and colours, and offer new colours to extend the children's exploration. n Children learn about mathematics throughout the day. They use shape names to describe bug body parts, discuss the length of the bugs and the amount of bugs there are. They weigh, measure, and count as they make their own play dough and mud kitchen recipes. Children develop excellent physical skills as they climb low trees and hang off branches, dig mud with small shovels, and run about

p.2

need to do better?

freely in the sloping woodland. n Children develop a love of stories and books as there are many opportunities to share stories in the willow den or by the fire. Adults have high expectations for all children and use a rich and varied vocabulary when talking to them. Adults help children learn to blend sounds and use descriptive words when labelling

p.2

need to do better?

18 May 2022 things. Children learn about the wider world as they look at maps and think about where people live. They cook foods from around the world on their fire and read stories about other cultures. n There are strong and effective partnerships with parents. Adults share the curriculum and children's learning with parents through verbal feedback and through beautiful learning stories. These stories help parents understand how their children are learning across all areas of the early years foundation stage and the progress they are making. The manager ensures there are close links with other settings that children attend, so children's achievements are shared by all. n Children truly understand how to keep themselves safe, as the adults teach them about safe spaces, stranger danger and how to climb safely. Children develop a caring and considerate approach towards each other and the world around them. The adults create an incredible nurturing and community-minded

p.2

need to do better?

approach. They encourage children to work collaboratively and to resolve conflict by considering each other's views and needs. n The manager is incredibly passionate and reflective. She wants the best for the children and her team. She researches and trains to develop practice and seeks advice from others to ensure the children have the best outcomes. She proactively adapts the setting and practice if it will improve these outcomes.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

All adults are very committed to keeping children safe and protecting them from harm. They are extremely knowledgeable about their safeguarding duty and know how to identify potential signs of harm. They follow all the policies and procedures of the setting if they have concerns about a child's or adult's welfare. The manager has robust systems in place to ensure all adults are suitable to work with children. Adults are very diligent about health and safety in this forest school. They keep a watchful eye on all children and teach them about safety and stranger danger. Adults risk assess all areas thoroughly and proactively adapt or change things if they present as a risk.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 2501582 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 10191802 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person Little Tree Woodland School CIC

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 07533828546 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Little Tree Woodland School registered in 2019. It is located on the site of Potager Garden, High Cross near Constantine in Cornwall. It opens Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30am to 2.30pm for 42 weeks of the year. There are four staff. Of these, two have qualified teacher status, one has a relevant level 3 early years qualification and three are level 3 forest school trained. The school receives early years government funding for three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children spoke to the inspector about what they enjoy doing at the setting. They shared their knowledge of how they keep safe. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact this was having on the children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the

p.5

Inspection activities

manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working at the setting.

p.5

Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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.5

Inspection activities

18 May 2022 regulates and inspects to 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.5

Inspection activities

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.6

Inspection activities

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.6

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6