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Nest in the Woods Grappenhall: Outdoor Pre-School
We are offering places for two, three and four year old children. We are offering Free Early Years Entitlement of up to 30 hours.
Our base is at the 25th Grappenhall Scout Hut where we will prepare for our daily adventures, and return to share our experiences with you at pickup time.
Our philosophy is based on the Forest School approach, which puts the child at the centre. Children will develop their independence and resilience, communication skills, their imagination and thinking, teamwork, and of course have loads of fun in the process.
The outdoors is the absolute best place for children to be. They are natural explorers and little scientists finding out about the world for themselves with the support of experienced and caring adults. Children will connect with and understand nature, themselves and each other in a deep and meaningful way because the outdoors is such a rich and stimulating environment. They will experience the changes of the seasons and learn about nature first hand, as well as how to look after themselves and each other.
We prepare at our Grappenhall Scout Hut base where the children arrive, settle and take part in activities then when we are all ready we set off on a different adventure each day. We walk to a variety of locations in the local area, looking at nature and discussing any hazards on the way. We have our snack and set up a day camp with everything that we need for the day. We take part in a huge variety of different activities such as playing games, building dens, studying and caring for the environment, craft with natural materials and lots of time for free play and exploration. Our passionate, experienced and qualified staff will work with and observe each individual child and track their learning and development within the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. We will have lunch together then return back to play, or start a new activity or have some quiet relaxing time. Later we will have another snack and share our daily experiences, reflect on the day and collectively plan for future adventures. This will take place either at the base camp or back at the scout hut depending upon the weather. We walk back to the scout hut chatting about the day and looking at more nature as we find it. If its a wet day we may take off outer layers to check we are still dry and comfortable back at the scout hut. If its a dry day we may remain in the woods and walk back ready to greet you for collection.
Click here to register your child.
We also provide a holiday club – Den in the Woods, this operates some holidays and will cater for children aged 3-12 years.
Please email admin@nestinthewoods.co.uk or call Sally on 07954160118 to arrange a visit.
Additional Information
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday
8:45 am – 2:45pm term-time only
(We also run a school holiday club so care may still be available for school holidays.)
Earlier pick-ups can be made by arrangement but you may need to meet us at our location on the day.
Age:
for 2 – 5 year olds
Places:
15
Cost:
£38.50 per day
£1 admin per day
£0.50 snacks per day
We welcome children to attend for 1 day per week but would recommend 2 days to get the full benefit of our approach.
Ratios:
We will operate with a higher staff to child ratio than most other childcare settings in keeping with the Forest School approach.
We will operate on a ratio of 1:3 for two year olds and 1:6 for three and above.
Location:
Our base for drop-off and pick-up will be at 25th Grappenhall Scout Hut but we will walk to a different day camp each day. Postcode WA4 3EP
How will my child’s progress be monitored?
We will monitor your child’s progress in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage. 4Children have produced a very useful guide to children’s learning and development in the EYFS called “What to expect, when?”
We use ParentZone, an online app with which we can record observations and monitor and review the progress of the children. You can download a mobile version (Android link, iPhone link) of ParentZone to keep up to date in real time on your child’s progress. You can also use the web version by following the ParentZone link under the Pre-Schools menu at the top of the page or clicking here.