Little Crickets Forest School

Little Crickets Forest School

Unique reference number (URN): 2748938 Address: Cooper Dean Pavilion, Dean Park, Cavendish Road, Bournemouth, BH1 1RB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 21/12/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Park School (Bournemouth) Limited

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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 Expected standard

Children, including those who are new to the setting, settle quickly and feel secure. All children make steady progress from their individual starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Children make secure progress in their communication and language development. They confidently engage in conversations with their peers and staff, sharing their ideas. For example, children demonstrate curiosity and thinking skills as they discuss and predict what might happen when mixing 2 colours together.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are typically well prepared for future learning. They show increasing resilience, independence and a willingness to explore during their play. For example, children take the lead in activities such as making dough, where they decide how much water they need to add to create the correct consistency. Children show confidence as they climb up and over logs. This reflects their physical development as well as growing confidence in their own abilities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children benefit from a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment where staff set clear, age-appropriate expectations for behaviour and routines. These are reinforced and well understood by children, parents and carers. Children demonstrate manners and kindness towards others, supported by staff who are positive role models. Staff actively promote cooperation and respect, and children respond well to guidance. For example, when encouraged to work together to collect water for dough making, children cooperate effectively, taking turns to operate the tap and gather the required amount.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff work with parents to promote regular attendance. They build secure, nurturing relationships with children. This helps all children, including those new to the setting, to quickly develop a sense of belonging, feel secure and ready to learn. Staff offer reassurance, praise and encouragement during play and learning. This supports children's self-esteem and confidence, and fosters a positive attitude towards learning. Children show enthusiasm and demonstrate resilience when faced with challenges. For instance, they persevere when learning to operate a sit-on digger to move soil, showing determination and growing confidence in their abilities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff place an emphasis on children's wellbeing and respond to them with warmth and care. They create a welcoming environment where children feel safe, secure and valued. Close partnership working with parents and carers ensures that each child's care routines and individual needs are understood and met. As a result, children quickly form trusting relationships with staff from their first day. Staff are attentive to children's emotional needs, offering reassurance, praise and encouragement. This helps children to understand and express their emotions and build a positive sense of self. Staff are passionate about helping children develop positive attitudes towards risk. They teach children how to recognise and manage risks safely. Children develop the confidence to apply this understanding independently. For example, children learn to avoid stinging nettles and to take care when balancing on wooden logs. These experiences, alongside

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

outdoor and forest-school activities, help children to build physical confidence, resilience and a sense of achievement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Health and wellbeing are promoted effectively throughout the setting. Staff incorporate messages about healthy lifestyles, including making healthy food choices, into everyday interactions. Children benefit from regular opportunities for physical exercise as they access well-resourced outdoor spaces in all weathers. Mealtimes are social and supportive occasions, where staff sit with children to encourage conversation, manners and healthy eating habits. Nutritious snacks are provided, and clear hygiene routines, such as handwashing and tooth brushing, are well embedded. Children are increasingly independent in managing their own personal care, supporting their growing self-confidence and readiness for the next stage in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff implement a broad and varied curriculum that is carefully differentiated to reflect the ages and stages of the children in their care. Leaders demonstrate an accurate understanding of curriculum quality and teaching. Teaching is adapted effectively to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, are fully included and make progress. Assessment is used well to identify children's starting points and to inform tailored teaching. Overall, the quality of teaching across the setting is high. Staff identify children's next steps in learning and use this knowledge to plan meaningful learning opportunities. They generally adapt their teaching to support individual progress, and leaders recognise that increasing consistency in this practice will help children to achieve even more.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's progress is closely monitored, underpinned by a shared ethos among leaders and staff. There is a focus on helping children to develop resilience through meaningful experiences. Children are given time and space to explore independently and to build friendships. Staff skilfully support the development of social skills, modelling how to form and sustain positive relationships. Opportunities for physical development are embedded throughout the day, enabling children to build strength and develop highly positive attitudes towards physical activity. Staff incorporate mathematical experiences across the provision, supporting children to engage with mathematics in purposeful and meaningful ways. For example, staff introduce mathematical language as children compare the size and weight of different resources.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment across the provision. They build solid, professional relationships with parents and carers from the outset. Staff ensure they have a clear understanding of each child's individual needs. This enables staff to implement targeted support from a child's very first session. Ongoing communication between staff and parents supports a collaborative approach, helping to identify and address any barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Regular observations of children's play allow staff to identify any gaps in learning. They use this information to plan purposeful activities, experiences and teaching strategies that support children's progress and help close these gaps. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of child development and using a tailored approach. Leaders have clear plans in place to further enhance this through training.

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Inclusion Expected standard

This proactive and inclusive approach ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, are typically well supported to overcome challenges and achieve well.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the provision's strengths and generally identify appropriate priorities for improvement. They work effectively alongside staff, promoting a shared vision and ethos across the provision. Newer staff are well supported as they settle into their roles. Leaders place an emphasis on staff wellbeing. They manage workloads thoughtfully, hold regular check-ins and are available to discuss any concerns. Practical support, such as providing meals and creating opportunities for open communication, contributes to staff feeling valued and supported. This boosts confidence, morale and helps to foster a positive environment.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate commitment and dedication to providing high-quality care and education for children. They have begun to strengthen links with other settings to enhance support for children who attend multiple provisions. This work is developing well but has not yet had time to show impact. Leaders are proactive in making further improvements. They have identified training opportunities and additional support for staff, although these initiatives are still being embedded.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Effective partnerships with families are evident. Parents and carers speak highly of the provision and the positive impact the curriculum has on their children's confidence, communication skills, relationships and social skills. Staff share information regularly, keeping parents well informed about their children's achievements and progress.

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

Children demonstrate that they are happy within the provision. Staff provide a warm welcome and work in partnership with parents and carers to promote attendance and gather relevant information. This helps children build confidence and form secure relationships with their peers. As a result, all children, including those who are new to the setting, feel safe, develop a secure sense of belonging and settle quickly.

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

Children benefit from an ambitious curriculum that offers a wide range of experiences, helping them develop new skills that prepare them for the next stage in their learning. Children build resilience and problem-solving skills as they explore and learn through play with staff support. For example, they persevere when using a sit-on digger to move soil, learning to operate the levers and use their large muscles. Children show growing independence as they identify their own toothbrush, by reading familiar symbols, and brush their teeth confidently during daily routines.

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

Children are curious, motivated and eager to learn. Staff celebrate children's unique ideas and encourage them to think, wonder and value their own contributions. Children enjoy making independent choices about their play. Staff respond by joining in and following children's interests. For example, when children become fascinated by water flowing down a pipe, staff engage alongside them. Staff extend learning through thoughtful interactions, adding new vocabulary and sharing in children's excitement. Children share ideas and develop their thinking skills. For example, they explore colour mixing and share their thoughts, such as, 'I wonder what would happen if I mix pink and red.' Children

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Address:

Cooper Dean Pavilion Dean Park, Cavendish Road Bournemouth BH1 1RB

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises communicate confidently, using the rich vocabulary they have learned, including words such as 'pigment', to describe their creations.

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Address:

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, make progress. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of each child's needs, abilities and potential barriers to learning, and use precise assessments of starting points, ongoing progress and next steps to prioritise key areas of learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to embed their plans to strengthen staff's professional development to establish consistently high expectations for children. Leaders should strengthen links with other settings to ensure that all children are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, a special educational needs coordinator, children, parents and carers 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. Registration date: 21/12/2023

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About this inspection

Registered person: Park School (Bournemouth) Limited

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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About this inspection

Local authority: Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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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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