Forest Preparatory School

Our experience of Forest Nursey has been fantastic. It was a great choice and we were very pleased with both the love and care our child received as well as the educational/academic push our child needed to excel.

The main difference I would say is that this nursery is focused on education from the start and this is a huge difference from other nurseries where children just play, the children start learning using different smart learning ways.

The facilities and resources are brand new and most importantly the staff are warm, approachable, friendly and fun! They have really taken the time to get to know him and understand how he ticks! The nursery has its own private space separate from the older children but we really like the fact there is opportunity to be around the older children. There is a real magic about the whole school and I would highly recommend it.

This nursery is wonderful, so warm and welcoming. My daughter settled in here extremely quickly when she started last Easter. The nursery is in a lovely, safe setting within the school and the staff are very kind and caring, putting both myself and my daughter at ease. Being within a school environment has been invaluable to my daughter, learning from the older students and building friendships. There are many events throughout the school year that nursery students can participate in as well as an excellent dance and movement class which my daughter loves. I can't recommend this nursery highly enough.

Such a nurturing environment, didn't have to worry once when dropping our little boy off each day as he settled so quickly. The school makes a point of knowing every child as an individual and would recommend to anyone.

Children feel safe and valued.

We have 3 children, our eldest two attend the school and our youngest is the first to go through the nursery. Our son settled immediately due to the caring staff and nurturing environment. He talks excitedly about his days and often asks if he can go in on the days he does not attend!

There are a variety of multi sensory and engaging experiences on offer - for example this term they have played with baby lambs and will be meeting birds of prey. They eat lunch in the main dining hall which I feel is good preparation for school transition. Communication with parents is very good. Wrap around care is flexible and comprehensive. Easily the best of the three settings we have experienced for nursery care and the others were also very good. Thank you!

The staff there are very friendly and helpful. They truly care about the development of children.

My daughter started in September 2021 and both myself and my husband have been thrilled with how well she has settled: forging great relationships with both staff and peers alike. Her timetable is varied and, unlike previous settings she has been to, has specialist subjects taught by specialist teachers, which she loves.

The teachers are very approachable and engage with parents regularly about the progression of their child, both socially and academically- although I would like to see this transpire more through various digital apps available. My daughter looks forward to school every day and bursts out at the end of each day with excitement and news of all the wonderful learning she has achieved that day. A huge thank you to all those who have made the start of her school life an extremely enjoyable and seamless experience.

After moving nurseries I was anxious about my daughter settling in especially since she started a term later than the rest of her class. My mind was instantly put at ease on her first day by the caring and nurturing staff. Since starting her language skills have improved dramatically as well as her independence. My husband and I love the sense of community throughout the school and couldn’t be happier that our daughter is a part of it.

My son has been to both nursery and kindergarten at Forest Preparatory School and settled in very well from day 1 and is now flourishing with his personal development. Every teacher and teaching assistant cares about each child which is evident when you watch them interact. The skills my son has learnt so far has now prepared him for reception which will be an easy transition for him. My son enjoys going to school and also the late stay (and sometimes breakfast club) wrap-around care the school provides, which is an extra added bonus.

Although, I would like to see some IT investment.

My son is excited to turn up to school every day which is lovely for us to see. His speech has been coming along well since starting at Forest Preparatory School as has his listening skills. It’s comforting to know that he is being nurtured well whilst he is at school and we look forward to seeing how he comes along each year. The staff are brilliant we could not ask for more, and find the small class sizes suit our son well.

I am so pleased with my choice for my daughter's school, I wouldn't send her anywhere else. My daughter started preschool (Kindergarten) in September 2021 and we have had only positive experiences with the school. The school has incredible caring staff with so much experience, they challenge every single child to grow and develop more and each child receives a personalised plan for learning and development. My daughter developed confidence, self-esteem, learned so much (phonics, maths, she can even write and read simple words, and a lot about the world), and made amazing friends. She absolutely loves going to school.

Our 3 year old skips in every day and comes home very happy. The staff are caring and seem invested in bringing the children on both mentally and physically. We are really happy with the service provided.

During Covid, they have done their utmost best to keep the children safe in bubbles, and families reassured.

The early year's provision at Forest is, largely, a feeder for the main school. I have experience of the kindergarten (pre-school) year, which manages to deliver a caring and nurturing environment, but with a strong early introduction to education. By the end of kindergarten, the children are more than ready to start reception. They’re aware they are part of the bigger school community, and they can’t wait to be more involved - to the extent that you hardly even notice they’ve started ‘big school’! My children have thoroughly enjoyed their preschool experience at Forest, and I would certainly recommend it to others.

We have 2 Children currently at Forest school age 5-6 and 3-4 and have been impressed by the standard of teaching, enthusiasm and friendliness of staff from headmaster to caretaker. A special mention to Head of Early Years, who has looked after both our children at early stages who has instilled a willingness and hunger to learn, whose pastoral care is exceptional, and provides insightful comments at parents evening. We are also very grateful to the other teachers for his dynamic approach to ‘after school’ on the rare occasions we have required it. Both children have settled in well, socialise well with peers and other children, and have both been awarded ‘pupil of the week’ at some stage which has really boosted their confidence. I am very impressed with the many initiatives to encourage and promote learning, Monty the dog amongst others!

Our youngest son is currently in Kindergarten and simply put - it feels like leaving your child with a family member. The care, love and teaching they receive is second to none and the staff genuinely care about the children like they are their own. Both of my children loved going to Nursery and Kindergarten as they truly saw it as learning through play. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Forest Pre Prep to anyone and I will be truly saddened when he moves into Reception and I won’t get to see the wonderful teachers on a daily basis.

Forest has nurtured and cared for our son both emotionally and cognitively. They are a family-driven support network for every pupil and I can’t stress the positive impact Forest has had on my son and our family!