Little Birds Forest Nursery

Inspection of Little Birds Forest Nursery Amberley Museum, New Barn Road, Amberley, Arundel BN18 9LT

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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

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The provision is outstanding

All children benefit from a rich and nurturing, forest school learning environment which is wholly focused on the individual needs and abilities of each child. Management and practitioners organise an exciting, thought-provoking curriculum, which they implement extremely well. This enables children of all abilities to achieve the best possible progress.

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The provision is outstanding

Children happily arrive at the nursery and receive a very warm welcome from practitioners. They demonstrate they feel safe, as they enthusiastically join in the range of activities on offer and quickly become totally absorbed in their play. They show huge excitement as they use shovels to spread the arrival of new bark chippings in outdoor play. Children think critically and persist when difficulties arise. For example, they become totally engrossed as they work out the pulley system for lifting small baskets which they have filled with natural resources, such as leaves and twigs.

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The provision is outstanding

Children behave impeccably. They play extremely well together and show exceptional care for their friends. For instance, when a child took a tumble, they showed great care and concern towards their friend. Children respond very positively when they receive meaningful praise from practitioners for their concern and kindness. This promotes children's emotional and social well-being extremely well.

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need to do better?

n The provider and manager work exceptionally well together. They have high expectations for all practitioners and apprentices, empowering them to continually develop their skills and knowledge. This creates a culture of mutual respect where morale is high. This enables children to receive the best possible early years experience. n The highly qualified practitioners provide an inspiring curriculum that builds on children's interests and makes learning fun. For instance, children enjoy learning about a range of traditional crafts by visiting a blacksmith. Practitioners expand on children's interests by exploring how the forge was used to shoe the horses and mend carts. Experiences of this type very successfully extend children's understanding of the world. n Children understand the risks in their environment. For example, they are aware of their safety around the fire in the community area. Practitioners create a

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need to do better?

wonderful sense of excitement as they ask children to blow dragon's breath to develop the fire. Children use a range of tools safely when chopping kindling. In addition, children enjoy a fire-cooked snack of gnocchi with pesto and tomatoes as part of a healthy eating programme.

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need to do better?

27 January 2023 n Children's communication and language development is exceptionally well supported. When walking in woodlands, children use cameras to capture what they discover. Practitioners take this opportunity to ask children to describe and recall what they discovered. In addition, they listen intently to children when they notice the twisted bark of a tree or bugs under logs and question their habitat. n Practitioners provide excellent opportunities for children to develop their literacy skills. They support children in writing and illustrate their own story books, such as 'Lava Monster'. As a result, children become extremely confident and effective communicators. n Practitioners ensure children wear appropriate clothing when exploring outdoors. Children have great fun mixing earth with water and concentrate for prolong periods of time given their young age. Older children use a range of materials to

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need to do better?

weave and create patterns and find sticks to make marks in mud. This helps to support their mathematical and early writing skills. n There is exceptional support for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator is extremely dedicated and implements agreed strategies with parents and other early years professionals. There is an exceptional focus on teaching children resilience. For instance, strategies include allowing children time to understand their feelings and move away from others to gather their thoughts when they chose to. n Parents comment very positively about the nursery. They enjoy being able to view the online application on their child's progress and the individual videos of their children participating in an amazing range of forest school activities. They welcome being able to share home events that relate to their children's heritage

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need to do better?

and culture, such as Australia Day, and share recipes from Poland. This helps children understand the world around them and prepares them for life in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Practitioners complete robust risk assessments to ensure children access and play in a secure and safe environment. They all hold paediatric first aid certificates. They carry first-aid kits, which ensures they can quickly administer first aid to a child in the event of an accident when exploring in woodlands. Practitioners clearly understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. They complete regular safeguarding training and know how to refer any concerns they may have about a child or adult. They ensure young children's dignity and privacy when changing nappies. The provider checks the ongoing suitability of practitioners during regular supervision sessions and annual appraisals.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2624277 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10264930 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 25 Number of children on roll 44 Name of registered person Little Birds Forest Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07887502906 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Birds Forest Nursery registered in 2020 and is located in Amberly Museum, west Sussex. It is one of two settings owned by the provider. The forest school operates Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, for 52 weeks of the year. There are twelve staff working at the forest school, of whom four hold a relevant early years qualification at level 3, one at level 6 and one at level 7. Four staff are early years teachers. There are two apprentices. The provider offers funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery 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 setting. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together to understand how the early years curriculum is delivered. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of an adult-led activity. The inspector also observed the quality of interaction between practitioners and children and assessed the impact on children's learning. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The provider and the inspector met to discuss the leadership and management of the nursery. The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of practitioners working at the nursery.

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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

27 January 2023 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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