Buntings is a Forest School
Forest School – which started in Scandinavia – is all about supporting and enabling children to explore and experience the natural world through hands-on activities outdoors. The concept that involves creativity, working together and child-led learning has proven to develop the self-esteem and confidence of children. What was your happiest childhood memory? Was it watching television? Or was it climbing a tree, running along a windswept beach or paddling in a brook?
The benefits
As one of the 7 key principles of the Reggio Emilio approach states ‘the classroom environment acts as the third teacher’. Here at Buntings our outdoor space acts as an extension of our indoor classroom.
Forest school allows the opportunity to assess risk in a safe environment. This challenging play helped to develop self confidence, competence, emotional resilience and a sense of independence. Without risk and challenge, children are at risk of losing their sense of aspiration and ambition. The low ratio of children to adults means that tasks are tailored to children’s abilities and interests.
What will they do?
All learning is play-based and child-led. Time and space are limitless and there is no constraint on how long one child engages in an activity. This makes holistic development easier to achieve than in a classroom. It is particularly important for children to have the freedom to choose and express themselves creatively. If not, their innate talents may be stifled.
Activities will include:
Education at Buntings
As a child first steps in to nursery they are also taking their first step towards independence and here at Buntings our goal is to encourage and nurture each child’s independence through educational activities which are fun and stimulating. Its a big exciting world out there and we want children to leave for their next steps in life fully equipped!
From the very first day your child starts at Buntings, we dedicate time to getting to know your child and your family. We make sure your child is completely content and secure. By building strong bonds with your child and helping them to develop personally, socially and emotionally we can then encourage them to feel secure enough to venture forward, make friends and try new activities.
EYFS Learning
As an early years provider we deliver an educational curriculum that meets the government standard early years foundation stage (The EYFS). The EYFS is split into seven areas of learning
The children learn through their play and open ended activities planned by the adults and those they have initiated themselves. We use the EYFS alongside the children’s interests and developmental needs to plan these open ended activities and opportunities for them to support their learning and development.
Jigsaw
In our preschool room – The Mighty Oaks we follow Jigsaw PSHE. Jigsaw integrates emotional literacy, self-regulation of behaviour, social skills and spiritual development in a session-per-week programme.
Sessions are structured to include a short input using a variety of learning approaches, appropriate for young pre-schoolers, with a selection of activities which can be accommodated throughout the week to support the learning.
Parental Involvement
We are passionate about watching the children develop and flourish in their time here at Buntings and strongly encourage our parents to also be apart of the process. We operate an open door policy and parents are welcome to phone or email at anytime if they would like
to speak with a member of staff. Parents are also welcome to use our learning journey app Famly to share any news from home.
This allows our staff to facilitate a good understanding of each children individual needs and home circumstances. Daily Room observations and termly progress reviews via Famly, regular newsletters and our termly parents forum allows us to keep parents informed of what has been happening at nursery.
Our aims
Care
To provide a high level of care for every child and adult in our nursery and promote equality and value diversity
Skills
To equip every child with the appropriate skills and knowledge they need to carry them on to the next level of development
Friendly
To provide a friendly, welcoming and experience-rich environment for every child, who will receive the care and attention they need to feel safe and secure
Opportunities
To give each child opportunities, in which they can learn, play and communicate with other children and adults
Communicate
To encourage children to communicate and express themselves in their own individual way, while showing them how to be kind, to share with others and behave appropriately to all. By showing children how to do this they will also learn to value and respect people and the environment around them
Our holistic approach
We see the curriculum as the holistic way we approach looking after your child, from the food we feed them to the people around them. We strive to provide the best environment that considers all the areas of learning. At Buntings, your child will be planned for as an individual and we will provide suitable play and learning experiences to meet their needs. This will always be carried out in a fun and exciting way and integrated into our daily routine, these are usually fun activities for all the children to experience together.
