Great and Small Forest School

My child loves going to Forset School, she attends one day a week and has done since September 2020. Before this, she attended the sister nursery Great and Small Kindergarten one day per week. Once she reached the age of three I asked if she could go onto the Forest School. She is buzzing to go every Friday morning whether it’s sunny, raining or snowing! She learns so much about life and the outdoors whilst she is there as well as the education side. She loves her peers there and she is well looked after. I receive a great report every week on the app, including pictures which are 10/10 from a parenting point of view. Yes, she comes home muddy and sometimes, a bit wet but these are her best days! A little mud doesn’t hurt anyone!

Our daughter is currently attending and loves it! She has learnt so much, developed skills and most importantly spent so much time outdoors. She has thrived in the outdoor setting, cooking lunch on the fire, making crafts from things found in the woods and making friends. She is always asking if it is a Forest School day, she comes home absolutely filthy with a huge smile on her face, telling us all about the mudslide, tyre swing and the stream. Her interest in the outdoors has grown so much, getting her to come inside is now a challenge! I can’t recommend it enough! We will definitely be looking at school holiday sessions in the future.

Absolutely outstanding forest school, my son loves coming here to play with his friends and get very muddy. The staff are very nurturing and totally understand the children’s needs and listen to them and follow their interests. My son always comes back exhausted with a massive smile on his face. When asked what he has done he always tells me everything. They also offer a weekly storytime via zoom which has become a weekly staple in our home and missed when it’s not on during the half terms. My son’s confidence has been developed massively and his love of the outdoors strengthens. It’s a shame he going to school in September as he will miss his outdoor adventures with the staff. If you are looking for your child to learn and be nurtured whilst being in the great outdoors then look no further. Highly recommend.

It is my pleasure to write a review for this setting. My boy does not like change at all and yet he settled from his first day/taster session to this uniquely wonderful setting, which speaks volumes in itself. All of the staff at both the Forest School and Kindergarten settings truly are experts in their fields. The care, support and education from the dedicated practitioners is unbelievable which is evidenced by how fondly my boy talks about them and trusts them. Communication is excellent along with the support provided. As a teacher myself, I am amazed by the broad and varied learning opportunities which will become life-long skills. The confidence and abilities that my child has developed since he first started have surpassed all of my expectations. Don’t let the winter months put you off either, thermals and extra layers work wonders. I would urge all parents to send their children here. In my opinion, it is the best setting in the area (and wider surroundings) for sure.

My daughter has been attending Great and Small Forest School for the previous two academic years. She absolutely loves it. Over her time there her confidence has come on leaps and bounds and she has become much more resilient. We’ve always been an outdoorsy family but now it seems the weather does not faze her and she is more than happy to spend large amounts of time out there, accompanied or not, when safe. The staff are always so welcoming and my daughter has a great connection with them. She has learnt some great skills in her time there and has developed some lovely friendships too. To top it all off, the fire cooked meals and snacks are a highlight of her day!

My son has attended this forest school since it very first started doing preschool sessions! It is a very big and important part of my son’s life and I believe it has contributed to his confidence in himself in almost every way.
He started at age three and is now seven. He goes one day a week with some other older children that are home educated/flexi-schooled and they have the most amazing adventures.
Their ancient bit of woodland is the perfect environment to be in which they have developed to make it a nice place to spend prolonged periods of time.
Activities and projects are planned for the children, but they are also given the trust and freedom to follow their own plans for the day if that’s what they want to do.
I could keep going about how much we love the forest school, but the fact my son loves it so much that he celebrates that he’s going the next day says it all!

Forest School is such a special place, full of adventure and excitement as well as being so positive for the children’s mental health and wellbeing. My daughter has loved learning about fire safety, using special tools and getting creative in the amazing mud kitchen. The staff are wonderful, so caring and passionate about forest school education and its benefits. We have really loved our time at Forest School.

My son (3) has been coming to Forest School on Tuesday mornings since September. He absolutely loves it, he’s been buzzing with enthusiasm after every session and it is a highlight of his week. I have been so impressed with the weekly observations we receive through the online journal, the personalised and detailed comments really make my day and it’s lovely to know he is being so well looked after. The passion from the staff and their care for the children shine through, and as a parent, that really is the most important thing! The opportunity to mix with other children, play on their own terms and follow their own interests is fantastic and I would highly recommend this setting to all of my friends. My other son who is nearly 2 will love it too when he is old enough to join in!

My little boy absolutely raves about his Forest School and it’s sad to see him leave, he has made lots of friends and enjoyed playing games with them in the great outdoors. I can highly recommend Great and Small, the staff are lovely, the environment is brilliant and the kids have a great time! It’s always nice to see little action shots of them every week too!