Forest Friends Childcare Redcar

In April 2024, a bug hotel, a visiting beekeeper and a nursery tortoise gave Forest Friends Childcare Redcar a recognisable character. In April 2024, outdoor exploration and learning about emotions sat alongside practical experiences in the surrounding community. Children helped choose seeds to grow, then encountered nature beyond the garden through beach visits.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, highlighting carefully tailored learning and children's positive behaviour. The setting has capacity for 97 children aged 0 to 60 months, at The Old Post Office in central Redcar.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the April 2024 examples show learning woven into play. Staff used observations of children's interests to decide their next steps, then adapted activities accordingly. Coloured foam became an opportunity for singing, making numbers or practising turn-taking, depending on the child. Less confident children could join when ready.

Language ran through these experiences. In April 2024, adults talked through children's play, introduced vocabulary and allowed time for answers. Sign language helped younger children express choices and enabled non-verbal children to communicate with others. Communication extended beyond spoken words.

Outside, painted road markings and a zebra crossing turned tricycle play into practice in watching for others. Children built a bug hotel and learnt about bees from a beekeeper. Beach visits, forest school sessions involving exploration of the local environment, and visits to elderly residents at a care home connected their learning with places and people beyond the nursery. These were April 2024 experiences, rather than a fixed timetable of outings.

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, exceptional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and effective communication with parents. A dedicated SEND team worked with other agencies and supported families and colleagues, giving inclusion a practical structure.

In April 2024, staff caring for babies concentrated on close emotional relationships. Quiet spaces, including time with the nursery tortoise, helped children manage feelings; older children explored how their actions affected others. In the baby room, slide steps provided practice for moving to the next room upstairs.

Meals also encouraged independence. In April 2024, children practised pouring drinks, serving food and clearing plates, while adults sat with them and talked about what they were eating. Mirrors helped younger children clean their faces, and picture instructions supported handwashing.

The address is 13A Cleveland Street, The Old Post Office, Redcar, TS10 1BA. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening apart from bank holidays and Christmas.

In April 2024, funded early education places were provided for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That dated offer should be distinguished from the attendance and funding arrangements a family needs now.

• Booking and funding. Year-round opening gives families a broad operating window. Which sessions and funded attendance arrangements would suit your child, and what would the written quotation include for meals and consumables?
• Moving upstairs. In April 2024, babies practised steps before progressing to an upstairs room. On a visit, discuss how that transition would work for your child.
• Individual support. A dedicated SEND team and outside-agency collaboration were features of April 2024 care. Families needing additional support can use these concrete arrangements as the starting point for a discussion about their child's needs.

Forest Friends Childcare Redcar suits families drawn to practical outdoor learning, communication through speech and signs, and connections with the local community. Its April 2024 examples are memorable because ordinary play had clear purposes: foam supported different learning goals, while tricycles introduced responsibility towards others. Individual support in April 2024 included a dedicated SEND team and collaboration with other agencies.