Foresteers Outdoor Preschool

Woodland exploration, tool use and campfire cooking shape the day at Foresteers Outdoor Preschool in Oughtibridge. This is outdoor early education with a clear practical character: children follow their interests through nature, while practitioners plan what they need to learn next. Skogsmulle, a woodland character who introduces environmental care through stories, songs and imaginative adventures, adds a recognisable thread to preschool life.

The preschool welcomes children aged two to four, starting from their second birthday, and has 24 places in total. At its August 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective, alongside strong progress in physical development. That judgement belongs to an older inspection; the current offer centres on Forest School, a nature-based approach built around exploration and practical outdoor learning.

Full-time and term-time contracts serve different family routines, with a school day and additional sessions around it.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS frames children's learning, development and care: children learn about feelings and being part of a group, alongside language, counting and movement skills. Forest School supplies the setting's approach to delivering that learning: practitioners observe children's interests and abilities, then shape outdoor experiences around their next steps. The woodland is a learning space, rather than simply somewhere to take a break.

A discovered bird's nest can change the direction of an activity. Children might investigate habitats, count eggs represented by pictures or models, draw nests or develop woodland stories. The practical value is the connection between a child's immediate curiosity and planned learning. Following an interest still has an educational purpose.

Tool use and cooking around a campfire are built into daily provision. These experiences give the outdoor approach substance: children work with materials and processes rather than relying solely on discussion. Skogsmulle's preschool visits add songs and storytelling to environmental learning, giving children a character through whom to explore looking after the natural world.

Outdoor and Community Life

In August 2021, children grew herbs and used them in cooking, explored quantities through mud kitchen recipes and counted butterflies in the grounds. Those examples show how science and mathematics were woven into ordinary activity. Physical experiences included climbing trees, making swings and moving through tunnels, while sawing and weaving gave children practice with controlled movements relevant to later writing.

Language and reading deserve equal attention. The August 2021 improvement priorities were to make fuller use of opportunities to extend vocabulary and to keep books and other reading materials readily accessible. Outdoor exploration creates plenty to discuss, but the teaching needs to develop the words as well as the experience. These remain useful points for a family to explore during a visit.

Relationships and Communication

In August 2021, settling arrangements included gathering detailed information from parents about children's interests and individual needs. Key-person knowledge then informed planning. This gives a concrete picture of the relationship between home information and the preschool day, rather than treating settling as a separate introductory exercise.

The current optional administration package combines settling sessions, a waterproof suit and access to Tapestry, the online journal used for communication. Families who opt out provide their own waterproofs and spare waterproofs, and pay separately for settling sessions; they receive the statutory review at age two followed by an annual written report. The choice therefore affects both practical preparation and how progress is shared.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role and deputy SENCO role support the preschool's SEND arrangements. Individual Extended Support Plans set agreed targets and support, with parents involved in planning and review. The key person or inclusion support worker works with the child day to day, while the SENCO oversees implementation and brings together review meetings. These are specific mechanisms families can discuss against their child's needs.

The SENCO also seeks advice from the Early Years Inclusion Team, and the SEND arrangements include liaison with other professionals during transfer to another setting or school. Separately, Special Needs Inclusion Playcare Services (SNIPS) connects children and young people with SEND to outdoor sessions and provides respite for families. Access to that service goes through SNIPS directly; it is a separate route from ordinary preschool joining.

Medication support requires a completed parental consent form and agreement from the manager. Medicines must arrive in their original pharmacy container. Families needing this support have a defined process to follow.

Sessions and Attendance

Foresteers Outdoor Preschool is at Green Head House Farm, Oughtibridge Lane, Oughtibridge, Sheffield, S35 0HN. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm across 50 weeks of the year, with closure for bank holidays and two weeks at Christmas.

The school day runs from 9am to 4pm. Full-time contracts cover 50 weeks; term-time contracts follow Sheffield school holidays, with five additional unfunded days spread through the autumn term. That distinction matters when comparing a preschool timetable with a family's annual childcare needs.

Around the school day, Dawn Birds runs from 7.30am to 8am, and a Breakfast Club option runs from 8.30am to 9am. Tea Club offers sessions from 4pm to 4.30pm and from 4.30pm to 5pm; Roosting Birds covers 5pm to 5.30pm. These named sessions allow families to assemble attendance around the core day.

Joining starts by registering interest. General enquiries can be sent to team@foresteers.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

FEL/WPE hours are offered during term time. Additional private hours outside funding between 9am and 4pm can be booked by email, subject to availability. Families using funding on a full-time contract pay the day rate during the holidays. A full-time contract therefore does not turn term-time funding into year-round funded attendance.

The school-day price includes the Forest School fee, while funded attendance carries a separately invoiced daily Forest School charge. Lunch is separately charged and optional, with a term minimum attached to the lunch arrangement. Obtain a current written quotation that separates funded hours, private attendance and additional charges.

An optional administration package covers the waterproof suit, settling and Tapestry access; payment through a childcare or government scheme also attracts a monthly administration charge. The different categories deserve separate attention when considering the total commitment.

• Outdoor fit. Tool use and campfire cooking form part of daily provision. During a visit, discuss how your child would settle into these experiences and the clothing needed for outdoor attendance.
• Language and books. The August 2021 priorities concerned vocabulary teaching and children's access to reading materials. Ask how these are addressed within today's woodland day.
• Contract and funding. Funding is term-time only, and full-time funded contracts carry holiday day-rate charges. Compare the annual attendance commitment, Forest School charge and optional lunch before choosing a contract.

Foresteers suits families seeking nature-led early education, whether they need a term-time school day or a full-time contract with sessions before and after it. Its appeal lies in the detail: responsive learning from woodland discoveries, daily practical experiences and Skogsmulle's environmental storytelling.

The decision rests on a child's fit with outdoor life and a family's understanding of the contract. The Good judgement from August 2021 provides a dated quality reference, while its language and reading priorities give parents useful questions to carry into a visit.