Park Hall Forest School

Inspection of Park Hall Forest School Park Hall Working Farm, Burma Road, Park Hall, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 4AS

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate good knowledge and skills. Young children are curious and ask lots of questions. They build on their ability to play alongside others and then construct their play within a group. Older children learn about respect for others, and they can recognise their own name. They develop their understanding of words and use of vocabulary, such as the word 'camouflage'. Children learn skills over time that are transferable. They learn the skill of grasping a clamp screw to tighten it and hold mark-making implements, such as a stick or pen. Children understand mathematical concepts, such as the quantity and weight of stones. They use equipment, such as scales, to reinforce their understanding of weight. Physical development is at the heart of this setting's approach to learning through risk benefits. Children are highly skilled in their physical development. They safely clamber, climb and manoeuvre through the environments.

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The provision is good

Staff foster children's self-regulation and resilience. Children are curious and their concentration develops well over time. For example, young children learn to join whole-group activities. Children show a real enjoyment of learning. For instance, they delight in hammering nails into wood and then removing them using a hammer.

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The provision is good

Relationships between staff, children and families at the setting are mutually respectful. Children develop a secure base with their key person through the settling-in arrangements and then go on to explore with confidence, checking back in with their key person when needed.

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need to do better?

n The leader has designed an ambitious curriculum with a strong focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. The curriculum is ambitious for all, including children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff deliver the curriculum through the forest school ethos. The ethos is used to help to either build on children's outdoor learning experiences from home, or provide children with the opportunity to gain experience of learning outside. n The quality of the education provided through teaching is at least good. The leader is an excellent role model to other staff. Less experienced staff receive supervision to develop their teaching. There is opportunity to use supervision and monitoring further to help to raise the standard of all staff's teaching to an even higher level. n Staff are skilful in their promotion of children's communication and language

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need to do better?

skills. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have refocused teaching to help children to acquire a range of different vocabulary and to understand that some

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need to do better?

31 May 2022 words have the same or similar meanings. This is because staff have identified that children's experiences through COVID-19 have limited their opportunity to hear language from a range of different people. n Staff skilfully share stories with children. This helps them to understand how a story is constructed. Staff ignite children's imagination and help children to think about how a story might end. Staff also introduce a range of different concepts through storytelling, such as how to be a good citizen and to respect the view of the majority. This helps to promote and develop children's understanding of modern British values. n Staff know children's needs very well. They plan a curriculum that helps to close gaps in children's knowledge and helps them to become secure in their learning prior to starting school. Children with SEND, first, learn to listen, and then apply their learning to the concept of following rules in woodwork.

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need to do better?

n Partnership with children's families is a key strength in this setting. Staff give an insight, to all those who are important in a child's life, into what it is like for a child to attend this setting. In addition to this, family members receive regular updates on the knowledge and skills children develop over time. Where there are concerns about children's progress, staff, parents and other professionals work together to support these. n The leader carefully considers how good care practices can be promoted in the forest school setting. Through the focus on self-regulation, staff encourage children to consider how to look after their bodies, such as having enough food to give them fuel to stay active. n Staff promote equality and diversity. They do this through children talking about differences in their own families compared to others and through staff modelling non-gender stereotypes. n The leader evaluates the setting well. There is scope to continue to develop this

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need to do better?

through the monitoring systems in place to help to address minor inconsistencies in practice. The leader ensures staff's workload is manageable and their well- being is positive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff can identify the welfare needs of children. They know how to obtain help for children and the provider has effective procedures in place for the management of safeguarding. Staff have a sound knowledge of safeguarding, including signs that might indicate a child is at risk of female genital mutilation and radicalisation and extremism. They know how to respond to incidents of children harming children. Staff's teaching of how to manage risk is excellent. Children take risks confidently but consider how to keep themselves safe, for instance while they ride bicycles safely down ramps.

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should:

n utilise the monitoring systems in place to refine practice further by addressing minor variations and to build on the already good quality of teaching.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2567791 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 10239287 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 49 Name of registered person Lloyd, Lara-Elizabeth

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reference number

Telephone number 07506218849 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Park Hall Forest School registered in 2020. It operates from the site of Park Hall Farm the Countryside Experience. The setting opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 5pm. There are six members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate qualifications at level 2 or above. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The provider practises the forest school philosophy at the setting.

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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 inspector and provider completed a learning walk together of the setting and discussed the early years curriculum. Together, they discussed the leadership and management arrangements. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. He talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector and provider carried out a joint observation of a woodwork activity. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the

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Inspection activities

suitability of staff working at the setting.

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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.

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Inspection activities

31 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.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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