Strong Roots Forest School

A waterproof parachute canopy, a cabin and woodland shaped by the seasons give Strong Roots Forest School its character. Here, Forest School means repeated outdoor learning, with children’s interests guiding activities and adults supporting appropriate risk-taking. The setting occupies part of the former All Saints Pastoral Centre grounds in London Colney. Outdoor exploration is the organising principle of the kindergarten day.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding overall. That judgement belongs to an earlier period, but the current offer retains the woodland setting and learning through play that made the kindergarten recognisable. Children start at the beginning of a term, from around age two, and usually remain until they start school, with terms allowing later school starters or home-educated children to stay until the end of the term in which they turn five.

Term-time mornings, afternoons and full days make this more adaptable than a single daily attendance pattern. The important practical constraint is the minimum weekly commitment: four sessions, with Lunch Club counted separately.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sits alongside the Forest School approach: children learn through play and exploration, while the kindergarten supports their learning and development. Forest School adds a specific way of organising that experience. Sessions recur over time, take place in woodland and allow children’s choices to influence what happens, rather than treating nature as an occasional outing.

Wood, recycled materials and other natural resources take precedence over brightly coloured plastic. Tablets and DVD players have no part in the activities described here. For families choosing between different early-years environments, that is a clear distinction: the materials and surroundings invite investigation of the physical world.

In May 2023, language development was threaded through ordinary play. Adults talked alongside children’s activities and introduced vocabulary during hiding games. Shared snacks and lunch also provided opportunities for conversation. The practical value is that speaking and listening were woven into social experiences rather than confined to a separate lesson.

Books had a physical place in that outdoor day. In May 2023, children used a dedicated reading space, selected stories and invented narratives from illustrations. Finding a worm prompted a connection with a familiar story. Woodland learning and early literacy were working together, with discoveries outdoors giving children something concrete to discuss.

Outdoor and Community Life

Trees provide natural shade and shelter, while the waterproof parachute canopy creates a gathering space. A cabin supplies additional shelter when needed. These features matter in an outdoor kindergarten: there are different places to gather and take cover within the setting, alongside the woodland and open space used for exploration.

In May 2023, adults helped children think through physical challenges. When children crossed fallen branches, staff encouraged them to consider whether the wood could support them. Activities involving fire also had rules that children understood. The emphasis was on learning to assess a situation with adult guidance, rather than treating risk as something children could never encounter.

Electric Umbrella is a local charity supporting learning-disabled adults through music. Its Little Brollies group visited in June 2026, when kindergarten children helped make a music video for Adios Octopus, a song on the group’s preschool album. This was a specific shared project, bringing children together with visiting musicians through music-making.

Little Shoots provides a separate outdoor stay-and-play group for children aged one to four with their parents. Its nature-inspired activities run on Tuesdays during term time, from 9.30am to 11.30am, subject to its own seasonal calendar. It is a parent-accompanied experience, distinct from the kindergarten’s childcare sessions.

Relationships and Communication

Settling follows a gradual sequence during the first week of term. The default starts with a short session alongside a parent, then a session with the parent elsewhere on site, followed by time without the parent and progressively longer attendance that includes lunch. This gives separation a planned structure rather than making the first day a sudden change.

The settling week is charged according to the child’s normal booking profile. Families therefore need to plan both their own involvement and the shorter attendance at the beginning of term. It is an introduction to the setting, not a normal week of booked childcare.

Famly is central to the administrative relationship. At least one parent or carer needs a login, and families complete contact details, permissions and information about their child through the system. Regular bookings are also managed there. A child’s key person, the manager or another staff member can discuss concerns, so the app sits alongside direct conversations.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support excellent, with staff working alongside families and other professionals to help children access learning. Those are dated findings, rather than a guarantee about an individual child’s experience now.

Current inclusion arrangements assess each child’s needs individually and consider reasonable adjustments with parents, professionals and, where appropriate, the local authority. The outdoor environment, staffing, resources and safety are part of that assessment. This is a practical consideration for a child whose needs affect movement, communication or participation outdoors.

The terms also allow a placement to be reviewed, suspended or ended if the setting cannot safely meet a child’s needs despite adjustments and professional involvement, or if effective cooperation with parents breaks down. Decisions are to be considered individually and proportionately, rather than being based solely on disability or another protected characteristic. Families needing additional support should give this part of the agreement close attention.

Illness and medication have clear procedures. A child who becomes unwell must be collected, and sickness or diarrhoea requires a 48-hour absence after symptoms stop; booked attendance remains chargeable. Prescribed medicine needed during a session requires advance written permission. These rules affect both working arrangements and the cost of an interrupted week.

Sessions and Attendance

The kindergarten operates during term time, aligning its calendar with Hertfordshire County Council term dates and inset days. Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am, afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm, and Lunch Club occupies the interval from 11.30am to noon. Families can book either session alone, add Lunch Club, or combine all three parts into a full day.

The minimum is four sessions each week, excluding Lunch Club. Two full days, four half days or a mixture meet that requirement. Children attend the same sessions each week, and bookings continue from one term to the next until a change is requested. This suits a regular routine more readily than attendance that changes frequently.

Changes normally take place termly. Exceptional mid-term changes must begin on the first of a month. Reducing sessions requires one calendar month’s notice; leaving completely requires notice until the end of the current half term or one calendar month, whichever is longer. Those conditions deserve attention before committing to a weekly pattern.

A separate Holiday Club serves children aged four to eleven, with activities from 9am to 4pm. Its earliest entry point is the October half term after a child becomes eligible to start Reception. It uses Magic Booking and requires payment when booked, so it is a different arrangement from the kindergarten’s recurring term-time profile.

Getting There

The address is All Saints Pastoral Centre, Shenley Lane, London Colney, St. Albans, AL2 1AF. Parking is at the top of the main drive, with the forest school site on the opposite side of the building from the car park.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, email or telephone. Kindergarten joining starts with an enquiry, followed by an invitation to create an online management account and agree the sessions required.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded morning and afternoon sessions are offered during term time, with snacks charged separately, including on funded sessions. Lunch Club is outside funding and carries a separate charge; Holiday Club children bring their own packed lunch, with instructions excluding nuts, fizzy drinks and glass bottles.

A non-refundable booking payment is charged after the kindergarten account is created and credited to that account once paid. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation. The terms and conditions also explain the payment structure: the default spreads the annual booking cost into eleven monthly invoices from September to July, taking school holidays into account.

Alternatively, invoices can reflect actual attendance bookings, with an additional administration charge for that arrangement. Booked sessions remain payable when a child does not attend. Childcare Vouchers and Government Tax Free Childcare Accounts are accepted payment routes.

• An outdoor day. Woodland, a parachute canopy and a cabin shape the experience. During a visit arranged in advance, discuss how your child would use these spaces in different weather and what they should bring.
• A regular weekly commitment. Four sessions are the minimum, and reductions require notice. Compare morning, afternoon and combined-day bookings against your working week, including the shorter settling period.
• Individual support outdoors. Adjustments are considered case by case, and placements can be reviewed if needs cannot be met safely. Discuss the practical support your child would require within this environment.
• Food and personal supplies. Snacks are an extra charge on funded sessions, while Holiday Club requires a packed lunch. Ask what kindergarten lunch and personal consumable arrangements would apply to your booking, including any allergy needs.

Strong Roots suits families actively choosing woodland learning and a regular term-time rhythm. Morning sessions, afternoon sessions and combined full days give parents meaningful options, while the four-session minimum keeps attendance consistent. The canopy, cabin and natural materials give that choice a concrete setting.

The May 2023 Outstanding judgement is an important part of the picture, alongside the current Forest School principles and the recent Electric Umbrella music project. The decision rests on whether this outdoor model fits the child and family: settling takes parental time, funded snacks and Lunch Club cost extra, and individual support must work within the practical demands of the site.