Fledglings Day Nursery

Woodland learning gives Fledglings Day Nursery a clear character. Set in the grounds of a private house in Tanworth-in-Arden, it has countryside and woodland surroundings. Forest School brings regular practical learning in woodland into that offer, with supported challenges suited to the children taking part.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding at its 5 May 2022 inspection. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of a recent visit. The current age range runs from birth to five. Children choose activities, with practitioners helping them develop their experiences further.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides the nursery's learning, covering children's communication, physical skills, emotional development and learning through play. It is the shared early-years framework; Fledglings combines activities chosen by children with experiences led by practitioners. Children participate in deciding what to do, and adults help them develop those experiences further.

Forest School adds regular practical experiences in woodland, including supported risk-taking appropriate to the child and surroundings. This gives outdoor exploration an organised place in the nursery's learning rather than leaving it simply as a change of setting. The natural environment supplies opportunities to investigate, make choices and try challenges.

In May 2022, exploration and discovery shaped the curriculum, with staff combining elements of Froebel practice with ideas from forest school. Preschool children experimented together with moving water and talked about insects they had gathered. Younger children made food for birds and bird feeders. These examples show how practical activity could connect curiosity about living things with conversation and problem-solving.

Other May 2022 experiences included babies exploring jelly and gloop, and younger children painting with vegetables. Books and shared stories also involved babies and two-year-olds. The variety matters: sensory exploration, language and imaginative activity sat alongside learning about the natural world, rather than outdoor experiences carrying the whole educational offer.

Outdoor and Community Life

Countryside and woodland surround the nursery's private-house setting. Forest School is offered to all its children, so the woodland approach extends beyond preschool provision. Its supported challenges are intended to match children's readiness, making the way adults judge and supervise each activity an important part of the experience.

In May 2022, outdoor activity included tree climbing, tool use and time around a fire pit. Children also had opportunities to practise movement indoors. Those are examples from that period, but they give useful substance to the nursery's emphasis on exploration: the outdoor learning involved practical challenges as well as observing nature.

The Key Person system links practitioners with families, and parents contribute to each child's Learning Journey, the nursery's account of their learning. This gives home experiences a place in the understanding of the child, rather than treating nursery learning as separate from family life.

At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, described sensitive baby care and identified strong use of information from parents to personalise learning, including support for children learning English as an additional language. These findings belong to that visit. They provide a useful account of how relationships and safety worked together at the time.

In May 2022, safety assessments considered whether children were emotionally and developmentally ready for more challenging activities. Staff also used information about what children could already do when planning their learning. That combination is relevant to families attracted by woodland experiences: opportunities to explore depended on attention to the individual child.

Meals follow a menu that rotates over three weeks, with nutritionist input into planning; the nursery day includes breakfast, fruit and afternoon snacks, a hot lunch and high tea, with puddings. The nursery offers catering for dietary requirements, making individual dietary arrangements an important practical consideration for affected families.

Fledglings Day Nursery is at Birchy Cross House, Tithe Barn Lane, Tanworth-in-Arden, Solihull, B94 5DJ. The setting is in private-house grounds, with countryside and woodland around it. This rural location is part of its appeal for families who value regular contact with the natural environment.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for Bank Holidays and one week at Christmas. Those closures matter for families planning continuous childcare through holiday periods. Enquiries can be made using the nursery's contact form, by email or by telephone on 01564 742032.

Funding and Paid Extras

In May 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation. The distinction between attendance costs and the treatment of meals or supplies belongs in that quotation, so the overall arrangement can be considered alongside the hours needed.

• Woodland challenges. Forest School includes supported risk-taking, and May 2022 activities involved tools, climbing and a fire pit. Ask how today's activities are adapted to your child's age and readiness.
• The childcare quotation. Opening hours extend from 7.30am to 6pm, and funded education was offered in May 2022. What attendance pattern and current funding arrangement would apply to your child, including the treatment of meals, nappies and other supplies?
• Dietary arrangements. Catering for dietary requirements is part of the food offer. Families managing an allergy should confirm current kitchen and serving practice for their child's needs.

Fledglings suits families drawn to regular woodland learning and practical exploration. Forest School involves all children, while the Key Person system and parent contributions to each Learning Journey connect home and nursery experiences.

The Outstanding judgement dates to May 2022. Alongside that inspection position, the strongest reasons to choose Fledglings are tangible: its woodland setting and regular Forest School experiences. Families who value that combination have a clear basis for weighing whether its daily arrangements fit their child.