Woodpecker Forest School

Woodpecker Forest School

Unique reference number (URN): 2752510 Address: Stover Country Park, Stover, Newton Abbot, TQ12 6QG Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 23/11/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Nature Nurseries Ltd

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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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.

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Achievement Strong standard

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.

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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.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

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.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

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.

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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

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

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.'

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

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.

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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.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

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.

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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.

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Inclusion Strong standard

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.

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Inclusion Strong standard

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.

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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.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

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.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

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.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children thrive. They arrive inquisitive and excited. Staff greet children warmly, and all children demonstrate confidence and independence as they follow well-established routines. For example, they place their lunch boxes in the trolley and select a space on the rope train. Children separate well from parents and carers. All staff know the children well and use this knowledge to provide a transition process that is responsive and meets children's individual needs.

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Address:

Stover Country Park Stover Children clearly feel safe, secure and cared for. They are kind and thoughtful, consider the feelings of others and are eager to help their friends. For example, as children sit on a bench by the duck pond, they make space for others and offer help to their peers as they climb on the bench to sit down. Staff support children's resilience highly effectively. They allow time for children to attempt things independently and solve problems in their play before helping if needed. Children enjoy a curriculum that is broad, balanced and diverse. Learning activities all take place in nature, and children show a real sense of belonging as they play and learn in their forest school camp.

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Address:

Leaders have built a curriculum that prioritises the development of social and emotional skills and physical development. Staff support children's wellbeing to bloom. They interact frequently with children, and this promotes high levels of engagement, contentment and progress for all. Children develop a joy of exploring and learning in nature. They develop balance, core strength and coordination as they climb trees, balance on logs and use spades to create trails for diggers. Children experience a learning environment that is full of language. They thoroughly enjoy regular story times and sit captivated as they hear new stories and learn new vocabulary. For example, they show excitement at learning new words in stories. As they learn about birds and develop knowledge of a platypus, children declare, 'Wow! I have never heard that word before.'

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Address:

Staff monitor attendance robustly and promote the importance of attending with parents. When children are absent, staff quickly contact parents to check on the health and wellbeing of children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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. Newton Abbot TQ12 6QG Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday : 09:30 - 13:30

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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