the basics

• We are open for children aged 3 - 5 years-old, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

• We have an extremely experienced and passionate permanent team, all of whom have completed Forest School Level 3 training, as well as other relevant early years qualifications.

• We operate with high ratios of adult practitioners to children, 1:4.

• Our Kindergarten is entirely outdoors, all year round.

• We put up tarps in our wooded area when we expect rain.

• We use fire in the winter months for warmth and hot snacks/drinks. 

• We follow the Hackney School Calendar.

• We have a weekly music session with a professional musician who brings and plays a range of instruments to include the violin, guitar, recorders, harmonicas and many more.  

• We run a Forest School Holiday Club out of term time except for in August and over Christmas when we close (Click here for Holiday Club Details)

Our site

Our site will have been set up by the practitioners and will be some variation day to day. We will always set out an arts and crafts area, the book basket will always be beside the log circle, the mud-kitchen for sensory play is also a permanent feature. Some days there will be a rope bridge; rope swings; a maths area; a scramble net; loose parts such as crates, tyres and planks or other materials for den building. 

Our rhythm and routine

We follow the rhythm of the seasons and sessions will be tailored to the time of year. Our sessions are child-led; we follow the interests of the children.  

9.00

The children arrive and take their bags to the bags area and can engage in free play whilst waiting for everyone to arrive.  The site will offer something for everyone and we find that children are quick to emerge themselves into free play. 

9.45

The children are gathered by the lead practitioner for circle time. We say hello to everyone and discuss our weekly theme as well the adult-led activities available for the day. These activities are planned with the weekly theme in mind to deepen their understanding. 

10.00

We clap our hands 3 times to indicate the end of Circle Time and children are invited to try the adult-led activities or return to their free play.  

10.30

Hand washing and vegan snack time.  Whilst the children are eating their snacks, the lead practitioner will read a story or engage the group with a discussion. 

10.45

Adult guided activities and/or free play. Adult guided activities may include tool work. We have a range of tools we use with the children including hammers, bow saws, hand and palm drills, and whittling knives. 

12.30

Lunch - children bring a healthy packed lunch. In the winter months we recommend warm food in thermos flasks.   

13.00

Adult guided activities and/or free play.  We often use the afternoons to prepare a fire, especially on colder days. In colder months we will use the fire to cook our afternoon snack. The children assist with chopping wood, gathering kindling for the fire as well as any food prep. 

14.20

Tidy Up Time. The children are encouraged to help with Tidy Up time and tidy away the mud kitchen and other materials, which have been brought out.  

14.40

Vegan snack (which may be a warm snack cooked on the fire) and Reflective Circle Time. We will reflect upon what we enjoyed doing during the course of the day and on the themes and activities. The children will be encouraged to reflect so we can use this in our planning. 

15.00

Home time. 

What You Need To Pack

Here is a list of items your child should bring to Forest Grove every day they attend. 

• Labeled water bottle

• Healthy lunch in a sturdy, preferably metal, lunchbox; squirrels on site have been known to chew through hard plastic!  (To promote healthy eating we ask that lunches do not include chocolate, crisps or sweets etc. )

• A complete set of spare clothing (see below)

We will provide you with a rucksack that is part of our enrollment fee. However, please bring a small backpack for your child's first day.

The backpack we provide is large enough to hold your child’s lunch and some spare clothes. Please only bring one bag per child as some days we roam (don’t stay on site). Your child should be able to carry their own bag.

What To Wear

 Autumn/Winter 

• Thermal base layer (long-sleeve top and leggings)

• Wool jumper 

• Wool trousers

• Fleece zip-up jacket

• Elasticated waterproof trousers or dungarees

• Waterproof jacket

• Lined wellies, snow boots or waterproof walking boots

• Gloves, two pairs including one pair that is waterproof

• Hat and scarf/snood

• Spare change of clothes in waterproof bag in backpack: long-sleeve top, leggings, trousers, jumper, underwear, socks, gloves. Please pack multiple leggings, trousers, underwear and socks if your child is still mastering toileting. 

Spring/Summer

•Long sleeve top 

•Loose fitting trousers 

• Thin jumper for cooler days. 

• Wellies or shoes. 

• Elasticated waterproof trousers or dungarees 

• Lightweight waterproof jacket with hood 

• Sun hat with wide brim that protects face and neck. 

• Spare change of clothes in waterproof bag in backpack: long-sleeve top, trousers, jumper, underwear, socks. Please pack multiple leggings, trousers, underwear and socks if your child is still mastering toileting. 

Please ensure your child arrives wearing waterproof trousers and has a waterproof jacket, even if no rain is forecast; the ground and our logs are often wet, we encourage messy play in the mud-kitchen, and the forecast is not always reliable. We have very limited spare clothes so if your child gets wet/cold, you may be called for an early collection.

Food at Forest Grove

We provide a mid-morning snack and a mid-afternoon snack. Children should be sent with a healthy packed lunch, which covers all food areas, and a water bottle. Please ensure your child has a wholesome and hearty breakfast before coming to us, to give them the energy they need for the start of the day. Our snacks are healthy, nutritious, vegan and seasonal.  We are very conscious of allergies and cultural preferences (see relevant Policies and Procedures for more details), and so are flexible and careful with our daily menus. Below are example menus to give you an idea of the variety of snacks that we provide for your children, to keep them fueled all year round!

Please note, these are example menus and we do not have fires/use the fruit press everyday of the week, but we do make sure everyone gets a go!

Our Settling-In Approach

We will be guided by you. Some parents like to stay for just a short while in the morning - others wish to stay for their child’s first day. Some children may require more than a day to settle and that is fine. If you feel your child needs more of your time for settling, please ensure you have arranged your diary so that this is possible. 

We ask parents that are settling to remain on one of the park benches on site and not come to the group. However, we understand that your child might need you to come in on the first couple of circle times.
At 10am we gather the children for circle time and at around 10.30 - 10.45 we gather them again for snack time. Either of these times can be a good time to leave. Preparing your child in advance generally eases the transition, for example, one could say; “I will stay until circle time, and then I will come back to get you after lunch.” 

When you do decide to leave, do let your child know, so there are no surprises, also let one of the team know, so we can support you and your child with the transition. 

If you do decide to stay for the day do remember to bring a packed lunch. Our experience shows us that where parents do stay longer the settling-in process tends to take longer.

You may also decide that your child doesn’t need your support to settle, this is also fine. If this is the case, please remain close by for the first week. As always we will be guided by you.

We ask parents to refrain from using mobile phones whilst on site. If parents need to take a call we kindly ask them to leave the site.  

If parents wish to stay to help settle your child please be mindful of our ethos which includes developing a quiet, strong, non-invasive adult presence that allows children to find their own play and inspiration in the outdoor environment.

Key Person

Once your child has been with us for a couple of weeks we will allocate a Key Person to your child. This will be your key contact and the person to whom your child can relate to and rely on. The key person observes your child to identify how they learn through their play, their next aspect of development, what their interests are and whether there is any cause for concern or need for extra support.

Parent/Carer Involvement

At Forest Grove we are very keen to promote parent/carer involvement. Getting different adults involved with your child's time at our setting nurtures a wider caring community around your child and diversifies their learning and experience.

With this in mind we would like to invite you to join us for a Parent/Carer Circle Time. This is an opportunity for you (or any other relative!) to join our end of day circle time and share something with the group. We recommend that you keep the session short and simple! Reading a favourite story from home, a small singing or musical session, or a simple ‘show and tell’. Please speak to the team to arrange this. We would love to hear from you!