Little Forest School on the Green

Woodland learning shapes the day at Little Forest School on the Green, with Sandyhill Woods and Walton Heath surrounding its Walton on the Hill setting. Its base is St Peters Church Hall, where a shared main room, a kitchen room for cooking and messy play, and an enclosed garden complement the outdoor adventures. This is a nursery for families who want nature to be part of everyday learning.

At its September 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and praised a carefully sequenced curriculum that developed children's language, social skills and understanding of the wider world. The detail matters: storytelling, children's choices and woodland exploration worked together, rather than outdoor time being a break from learning.

There is capacity for 26 children, with forest participation starting at age two and the age range extending to five. Full days, half days and funded afternoon sessions provide different attendance options, alongside term-time or longer-year provision.

Rooms and Ages

Children share a large main room rather than being divided between named age-specific rooms; a smaller kitchen room supports cooking and messy activities. For parents, that makes the shared-age arrangement an important part of the choice: the indoor resources serve children at different stages together.

The enclosed garden has bikes, balls and other play equipment. Waterproof clothing allows children to move between indoor space and garden play in different weather, as well as taking part in woodland learning. Outdoor activity is built into the environment, rather than reserved for fine days.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning and development, including communication, physical development and personal and social learning through play. Forest School adds practical exploration of woodland and the natural world, with regular local woodland visits and daily Forest School outings forming part of the offer.

In September 2025, staff used children's existing ideas as starting points for conversation and storytelling. Children talked about animals they might encounter in the woods, while storytelling held their interest and sparked their imagination. Nature gave the conversations a concrete subject.

Children also had a say in what happened. In September 2025, they voted on the book for circle time and acted out animal characters. These examples connect language with decision-making: children were practising expressing a preference, listening to others and contributing to a shared activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Sandyhill Woods and Walton Heath give this setting its geographical character. The woodland visits sit alongside the garden and indoor rooms, so parents are choosing a nursery with several kinds of learning space, including resources for outdoor use such as tents, tools and toilets.

Village involvement was another part of the day in September 2025. Children participated in the May Pageant, attended a sports day at a local school, and shared cultural celebrations brought in by parents. The May Pageant offered participation in village life, rather than simply learning about the community from indoors.

A separate Forest School Holiday Club takes place at this nursery for children aged three to six. Its activities include nature crafts, den building and campfire cooking, extending the outdoor theme into school-holiday provision.

Relationships and Communication

Parents and carers can join activities both indoors and in the woodland under the nursery's open-door policy. That gives families a practical way to take part in the experiences their children describe at home.

In September 2025, staff and parents discussed children's development and experiences, and story bags went home with suggestions for continuing learning together. Children also talked about things they had made. Communication therefore included something tangible to share, as well as conversations about progress.

Daily routines were familiar to children in September 2025. Older children explained safety rules to younger ones, including why climbing too high in trees could be dangerous, and children offered help when friends were upset or struggling with a task. These examples show how the shared-age arrangement worked in practice at that time.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities fully included, with staff identifying developmental gaps, adapting support and involving other professionals when needed. The current team includes a SENCO role, giving parents a specific point of responsibility for discussing additional needs.

Hot breakfast and lunch are provided alongside snacks in the morning and afternoon, and alternatives can be arranged through the administration team. Food sits within a physically active day, with a breakfast welcome starting at 8am.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens from 8am to 4.30pm, with a 46-week option and a 38-week term-time option. Full days run from 8am to 4.30pm; half days run from 8am to 1pm. The minimum commitment is two full days or two half days each week, so the booking model calls for a recurring pattern.

Fully funded afternoon sessions run from 1.30pm to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, on qualifying days and subject to availability. These use three funded hours per day, up to 15 weekly, and carry no additional charges. This is a separate arrangement from the standard funded full-day and half-day packages.

Children are accepted in registration order, with no selection procedure. Enquiries can be made through the nursery's enquiry form, by telephone on 01737 813960 or by email at manager@littleforestschoolonthegreen.com.

Getting There

The address is St Peters Church Hall, 3 Church Green, Walton Street, Walton on the Hill, KT20 7SE. The nursery occupies the green beside St Peters Church and its large oak tree.

Funding and Paid Extras

Universal Entitlement 15 Hours per week and Working Parent entitlement 30Hours are offered subject to the relevant eligibility conditions, with term-time and stretched funding arrangements. Private hours beyond the funded allocation are charged separately, and the nursery accepts Tax Free Childcare payments.

Private full-day and half-day prices are all-inclusive, covering meals and consumables. Standard funded packages have an Enhanced Provision Fee, a charge covering meals, snacks, activities, outdoor resources and consumables including wipes and sun cream; meals and snacks are included within that separate charge. The fully funded afternoon arrangement has no additional charges.

A deposit is required, with an administration element that is non-refundable when applicable; the refundable balance is returned on the final invoice when the child completes their time at the nursery, provided fees are settled. Term-time families are invoiced each half term and longer-year families monthly; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charge structure explained on its registration and fees page.

• Outdoor participation from two. Children must have reached their second birthday before joining forest activities. At a visit, discuss how the woodland day and waterproof clothing will work for your child.
• A shared indoor setting. Children of different ages use the main room together. Ask how activities and quieter moments are organised for a younger starter within that arrangement.
• Funding packages differ. Standard funded full days and half days include a separate Enhanced Provision Fee, while qualifying funded afternoons carry no extra charges. Compare the written quotation for the attendance pattern you intend to use.

Little Forest School on the Green suits families seeking woodland learning with either full-day attendance or shorter half days, and offers a separate funded afternoon pattern. Term-time and 46-week options widen the practical choice. Its strongest case combines a clearly outdoor daily offer with the September 2025 Outstanding judgement, supported by concrete examples of storytelling, children's decision-making and village participation. The shared indoor room and the different funding packages deserve close attention when choosing the pattern that fits your child.