The children spend every morning in nature where they are drawn to explore and interact, strengthen their capacity to be attentive and benefit from:

  • stimulating and varied environments in which to be inquisitive and inventive

  • opportunities to build their confidence by meeting challenges and taking risks

  • freedom to move and be physically active

  • real-life contexts in which to cooperate and solve problems together

  • resources for play that require them to use their initiative and imagination

  • an environment that inspires a sense of adventure and wonder

  • space to immerse themselves in their experiences, observations and reflections

  • moments of silence and stillness

We work with the awareness that children need to be fully engaged in their experiences for their learning to have a deep impact on their understanding. To initiate and sustain their involvement, we:

  • attempt to give them time and space to meet their own challenges and develop what they are doing in depth

  • tune into their ideas and intentions, show interest in their methods and processes, and offer suggestions

  • show positive attitudes to learning by being curious, creative, persistent and enthusiastic ourselves

We foster an attitude of being active in learning - to be curious, take risks, persevere, solve problems, negotiate and reflect. We stimulate and nurture creative thinking by asking open questions, exploring possibilities together, and challenging and extending ideas. We make children aware of connections they can make in their learning, such as between new experiences and previous ones.

To support children's development and learning capabilities, we endeavour to:

  • lead the group in ways which ensure that they feel secure

  • enable them to be fully open to and engaged with their environment by ensuring their physical and emotional well-being

  • understand, through careful observation and discussion, what prevents some children from challenging themselves

  • help them to be free from any limiting images they or others may have of them

  • teach skills with sensitivity to their development and personality

  • use language that they may assimilate - concepts to organise information, describe experiences and extend their understanding of the world

The children have opportunities to express themselves through art, design, sound and movement both outdoors and indoors, where we provide open-ended resources and activities.

We teach mathematics at each child's level of understanding, based on their learning plan so we can ensure that they master one skill at a time and have gained sufficient understanding before being introduced to another that is more advanced.

Children are taught to read when showing interest and ability, following our phonics programme. Parents whose child has reached this stage will be sent guidance on how to support their child's learning at home and words to practise for a few minutes each day.

We show children with sufficient attention and pencil control how to form letters, with print or joined script.

The Department for Education has granted us exemption from the Early Years Foundation Stage requirement to provide children with technological toys and devices because we consider them unhelpful to young children’s development.

Inspection report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/CARE/EY383382