The Forest Approach

An enclosed field and outbuildings give The Forest Approach its defining character: outdoor play carries much of the learning. This Hartley Wintney preschool combines space to explore with everyday tasks that give children something real to practise, from taking pretend café orders to helping prepare for lunch.

Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding on 13 March 2025. The clearest examples behind that judgement were practical: children counted discoveries during treasure digging, developed ideas through construction and used stories as starting points for imaginative play.

The setting accepts children aged 24 to 60 months and has 20 places in total. Outdoor Preschool bookings run from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. For parents, the central choice is whether an outdoor preschool day matches their child's interests and the family's timetable.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care: children build skills through play and everyday experiences. The forest school approach adds outdoor and woodland learning, giving exploration a central role in the day.

In March 2025, children spent much of their time in the large outdoor space. Digging for treasure became an opportunity to count gems and compare their sizes, while shared reading led to acting out stories. These examples connect early mathematics and language with activities children have chosen to pursue.

Fine hand movements also had a clear progression in March 2025. Younger children threaded beads before moving towards more demanding sewing tasks. The value lies in the sequence: a familiar activity gives children practice before they tackle something requiring greater control.

The sensory kitchen supported sustained pretend play in March 2025. Children played customers and food servers, took orders and involved familiar adults in their games. Writing down orders gave mark making a purpose, as did drawing plans for construction projects. Early writing was part of the play itself. Mixing colours gave children another way to experiment with making marks.

Outdoor and Community Life

In March 2025, forest school sessions sat alongside outings to nearby forests and cafés. At cafés, children chose from menus and paid for hot chocolate. That brought decision making and conversation into an everyday setting beyond the preschool.

Physical exploration involved responsibility as well as movement. In March 2025, children considered how to climb safely and how to move large objects, including the effect on other children nearby. Outdoor space therefore offered opportunities to make judgements, rather than simply somewhere to run.

At its March 2025 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements and staff who understood individual needs, including those of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and planned the next steps in their learning. This is a dated judgement about practice, with individual knowledge of children central to the assessment.

Familiar adults formed children's key family in March 2025. Children helped set up lunch, and older children supported younger ones with everyday tasks. For a parent weighing the outdoor approach, these details matter: relationships and routines were part of the day alongside exploration.

Self-care was practised through ordinary routines in March 2025. Children washed and dried their hands and used tissues independently. Helping with lunch provided another chance to take responsibility, connecting care with things children could increasingly do for themselves.

Communication with parents was open and collaborative in March 2025. The practical implication is a connection between home and preschool, so that children's development is discussed across both parts of their lives.

Sessions and Attendance

Outdoor Preschool bookings run from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. In March 2025, the preschool operated during school term times. The finishing time is a significant consideration for working parents arranging collection.

The preschool is at Unit 5, White Lion Antiques, Hartford Bridge, Hartley Wintney, RG27 8AE. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2025, the preschool offered funded early education to two-year-olds, three-year-olds and four-year-olds. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation, with the chosen attendance pattern and any additional charges set out together.

• Outdoor daily life. An enclosed field and outbuildings shape the preschool experience. On a visit, explore how shelter, clothing and quieter time work for your child across the outdoor day.
• Days and collection. Outdoor Preschool bookings run from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Consider how the afternoon collection fits your working day.
• Funding and the attendance calendar. In March 2025, the preschool operated during school term times and offered funded early education to two-year-olds, three-year-olds and four-year-olds. Before joining, ask how the current calendar and funded charges apply to your chosen booking.

The Forest Approach suits families seeking an outdoor preschool day, with exploration connected to practical learning. The March 2025 examples are persuasive: café choices, purposeful mark making and progressively harder handwork show what children were doing, beyond the headline grade. Its 9am-to-3pm weekday bookings suit families whose schedules accommodate an afternoon collection. The fit depends on both the child's enjoyment of outdoor learning and the family's collection arrangements.