Little Foxes Forest School Westbury

Little Foxes Forest School Westbury

Unique reference number (URN): 2812004 Address: Westbury Wildlife Park, Trym Road, Bristol, BS9 3ET Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 04/10/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Little Foxes Forest School LLP

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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

Children consistently achieve well and make excellent progress from their individual starting points. They remember what they have already learned and confidently use this knowledge during their play. Children develop a secure understanding of the natural world and talk knowledgeably about plants, including those that may be poisonous. They also confidently explain how to stay safe around fire, the different fuels needed to start one and how it can be extinguished safely. Children build on their knowledge through their play and use their ideas in different ways. They develop confidence, communication and independence through the rich experiences available to them. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make particularly significant progress. For example, a child who was previously unable to be near the fire circle now confidently demonstrates how to move safely around the outside edge.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children enjoy their time at the setting and engage well in their play and learning. They form secure, trusting relationships with staff and are confident to seek their support and reassurance when needed. Children know the rules of the setting well and respond to familiar songs that embed these and support transitions throughout the day. For example, when staff play the 'tidy up song', children actively take responsibility for their environment by helping to pack away and care for resources.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are respectful and supportive of one another and speak to each other kindly. When interactions become more challenging, staff skilfully encourage children to think about how they might communicate differently, for example by asking, 'Could we find another way to ask that?' This helps children to manage their relationships positively and consider the feelings of others. Children readily accept one another in their play and interactions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders maintain a robust oversight of children's attendance through regular monitoring and reviews. When children are unexpectedly absent, staff follow clear procedures to establish their whereabouts and welfare, escalating concerns when contact cannot be made. Leaders have used these procedures effectively, including requesting a welfare check when necessary. This ensures that unexplained absence is taken seriously and potential concerns about children's safety are acted on.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders consistently identify children's individual needs early and work closely with families and other professionals to understand how best to support them. Staff use this information to make thoughtful adaptations to everyday routines and experiences, including the use of visual cards, sensory resources and dedicated one-to-one support where needed. As a result, children are empowered to express their needs effectively, manage transitions with confidence and engage fully across all areas of learning.

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Expected standard

Leaders promote diversity exceptionally well throughout the setting. Children learn about different families and cultures and the community around them through books and conversations, helping them to understand and value differences between themselves and others.

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Expected standard

Leaders and staff maximise the impact of additional funding, ensuring children benefit from enriched experiences that support their learning and development. For example, they have used grant funding to provide a dedicated shelter where children can retreat from the busy environment, regulate their emotions and return when they are ready. This is particularly effective for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who learn to recognise when they need a quieter space and use strategies that help them feel calm and ready to re-engage. As a result, children who may face barriers to participation are fully included and make sustained progress from their individual starting points.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for the quality of care and learning that children receive. They have a clear and detailed overview of the setting and ensure that staff are suitably qualified and continue to be suitable for their roles. Safeguarding arrangements are monitored closely, and leaders have good oversight of any concerns. Staff's engagement with parents is excellent. Parents report that staff know their children exceptionally well, which serves to reduce barriers to their learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Regular supervision meetings are used effectively to identify individual training needs and areas for development. Leaders provide targeted training alongside whole-team professional development, and staff are encouraged to share their learning with one another. This creates a supportive culture where staff feel valued and are confident to develop their practice. Leaders also demonstrate a positive commitment to staff wellbeing, contributing to a positive and committed team whose members work well together. This helps to provide children with consistent, high-quality care and learning. Leaders know the setting well and remain focused on strengthening practice and improving children's experiences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are generally supported effectively. Staff generally know children well and respond sensitively to their individual care and emotional needs. Children form warm, trusting relationships with staff and typically seek them out for reassurance when needed. Staff supervise children closely while giving them appropriate freedom to explore, take manageable risks and develop their independence. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff provide children with appropriate guidance and support as they gather around the fire circle. Children are learning to be more independent about making healthy choices and decisions, such as managing their own self-care needs. Staff consistently support children when they forget to follow some routines, such as washing their hands. This helps children develop their skills and foster healthy habits.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that reflects the needs and interests of children attending. Staff understand what they want children to learn and typically build on this through meaningful experiences in the environment. For example, planned learning about fauna and flora helps children to develop their knowledge of the natural world, while experiences around fire support them to understand safety and how fires are created and extinguished safely. Staff usually make use of these experiences to support wider learning. For example, children develop their mathematical understanding as they measure out the wingspan of an eagle and compare this with their own size.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff know children well and typically use conversations and questions to build on their ideas and introduce new language. Leaders recognise some staff are less confident in identifying how to extend children's learning further. Plans are in place to develop staff's confidence in this area so that children consistently receive opportunities to deepen their learning.

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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 are settled and happy at the setting. They form close relationships with staff, who know them well and provide reassurance when needed. Children enjoy exploring the environment and taking part in experiences that capture their curiosity and interests. They are encouraged to have a go, make choices and become increasingly independent in their play. Children feel safe because staff remain attentive, supervise them closely and respond sensitively when they need comfort or reassurance.

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

Leaders identify children's individual needs early and work closely with families and external professionals. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported to access the same experiences and daily routines as their peers. Staff make well-established adaptations to help all children participate, while specialist advice and support are used effectively to meet individual needs.

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

The curriculum is well designed and makes effective use of the environment to support children's communication, physical development and independence. Staff understand what children need to learn next. Leaders recognise that further developing all practitioners' confidence in extending children's learning in the moment will strengthen the consistency of teaching and interactions. Children make consistently good progress from their starting points, including those with SEND, and develop the skills they need for their next stage of learning.

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

Children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted effectively. Staff respond to children calmly and respectfully, taking account of their individual needs. They follow hygiene routines appropriately and promote healthy eating. Most children understand and follow these routines and make healthy choices independently.

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Address:

Westbury Wildlife Park Trym Road Bristol BS9 3ET

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Little Foxes Forest School LLP

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 14:30

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Next steps

Leaders should support staff to continue to help children embed their learning so that they consistently make healthy choices and decisions. Leaders should support all staff to consistently use effective questioning and meaningful interactions to extend children's thinking and help them to develop their ideas.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, parents, practitioners and the special educational needs coordinator 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.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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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. 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

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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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