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Ofsted Reg Visit - D-Day Is Today!


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That's great news !- I did my literature review for my BA hons on the impact of the natural environment on children's holistic development, which was extreemly positive - so with you all the way. Hope it's a huge success :1b

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Thank you all - we are all over the moon, especially the FS leader, she had been with our pre-school for 21 years. It means our village still has a community provision which is fantastic. We are the only Pre-school Forest School in England that I have found which operates entirely outside without an indoor base (although Id love to be proved wrong - its lonely being pioneering :( )

 

Our site is in a gorgeous woodland, we have a small stream running through our site, a fallen tree to climb on, a grand oak tree to rope swing from, a slope to slide down, log circle and fire pit. We also have a lovely meadow to the side for the windier days (also has a great slope for sledging!)

 

I'll keep you all updated with progress and at some point I'll try to upload some photos. We do have a Facebook site is youd be interested in following us pm me and I'll forward you the link

 

Kx

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Sounds wonderful, some pics would be great, you must have some hardy staff, I,m already anticipating the 'cold' comments come the end of sept :(

We've already done one winter and no-one froze ;) We live by the swedish addage of theres no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing...

I guess the good thing is that the staff we have signed up to be outside so they know to wrap up warm and be prepared

Kx

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WOW well done I am thrilled for you. I can't help but wonder about all your 'stuff' - I am a pack away pre-school and thinking of all the resources we have I am intrigued as to how you manage storage wise with no indoor provision.

 

we do have a shed in the woods for storage, however we keep our resources to a minimum to encourage the children to use what is provided by nature around them. What we do have are open ended enhancements. I have spent the summer selling off all of our plastic stuff and furniture from the indoor preschool. Eventually we do hope to build a wooden shelter in the woods as well, where the younger children can rest etc.

 

Kx

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Well done, Kirsty and team!

 

Well, I won't be able to visit :o ; why don't you give it a little time for reflection, then do us a Blog about how you sorted it all? I'm sure there would be lots of interest. Be prepared for lots of questions, now you are a 'resident expert'

 

Sue

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we do have a shed in the woods for storage, however we keep our resources to a minimum to encourage the children to use what is provided by nature around them. What we do have are open ended enhancements. I have spent the summer selling off all of our plastic stuff and furniture from the indoor preschool. Eventually we do hope to build a wooden shelter in the woods as well, where the younger children can rest etc.

 

Kx

Oh, sounds like Heaven......enjoy!
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  • 8 months later...

I battled with this when I opened our setting. I wanted to start and end the session by the edge

of a woodland, but weren't allowed to do this by Ofsted. They said that I had to have premises

because there was a chapter in the then National Standards with the heading 'premises'!

 

After a mad, long struggle to find a building to rent near woodlands I found a village hall and later

a corner of a barn, so I run two small settings.

 

The buildings have proven very important as I we wouldn't have had enough parents interested

in having their child to us if we didn't. They seem to be reassured by the availability of a cosy place.

They have also enabled us to survive financially as we provide warm meals on our return and a

short afternoon activity, which means that we have something to charge for as the funding doesn't

give enough - free play outside requires small groups and few children per adult, i.e. high costs.

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I battled with this when I opened our setting. I wanted to start and end the session by the edge

of a woodland, but weren't allowed to do this by Ofsted. They said that I had to have premises

because there was a chapter in the then National Standards with the heading 'premises'!

 

After a mad, long struggle to find a building to rent near woodlands I found a village hall and later

a corner of a barn, so I run two small settings.

 

The buildings have proven very important as I we wouldn't have had enough parents interested

in having their child to us if we didn't. They seem to be reassured by the availability of a cosy place.

They have also enabled us to survive financially as we provide warm meals on our return and a

short afternoon activity, which means that we have something to charge for as the funding doesn't

give enough - free play outside requires small groups and few children per adult, i.e. high costs.

 

 

Sounds lovely! :1b

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