Great and Small Forest School

Thank you to the staff who have made her feel so comfortable and giving her the nature memories.

An amazing place to let your children be children. My son comes back home full of mud, laugher and joy. He can not wait for forest school day. The leaders are wonderful with the children.

Excellent setting - kind and caring staff who go the extra mile for my son who is autistic. He has been attending for 18 months and has made lots of friends and learned a lot. The staff are very knowledgeable and make the day interesting for the children.

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!

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 girl has absolutely loved coming to Forest School. She has made her first-ever friends and after being really shy due to being in lockdown she has really come out of her shell. She loves doing the different activities each week especially painting and adores splashing in the stream when it runs through. Thanks for being such an amazing part of her development. We can't wait to book on to the next block.

My 3-year-old started the preschool sessions in September 2021. He absolutely loves it and is very excited on Sunday nights getting ready! He comes home absolutely full of mud which is perfect, showing he’s had a busy day exploring. He attends one day a week and spends three days a week at the kindergarten. All using funded hours. I fully trust them with my son's allergies. He tells me about playing in the water, the mud kitchen and adding water to hills to make them a better slide! I also have the option to pay for lunch which is made on the campfire which my boy loves!

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!

My son has been attending Forest School since October 2020. He absolutely loves it and has progressed in so many ways. He has become more connected to nature and has a real love for the outdoors. The staff at Great and Small are nurturing and provide an environment where children gain confidence and self-esteem. The setting also allows children to engage in risky play which has many benefits for children’s development. It’s a wonderful childcare setting and I am so happy that my little boy loves attending!

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 has been attending the Forest School here for the last 18 months (lockdown permitting) and has really enjoyed his time exploring, adventuring and learning new skills. He especially loves the tyre swing and helping out the Forest School Leader. Forest school really helps keep his mind curious and his body active. Thank you everyone for helping give him such a good start in life!

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!

I would highly recommend! Since attending, our son has really become more confident and extroverted. The activities he takes part in are varied and manage to hold his attention whilst still being educational. We enjoy the regular updates on the accompanying app that keeps us well informed of what he's up to and his development regarding things such as relationships with peers and functional skills.

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 son has been going to Great and Small Forest School once a week for over a year and he absolutely loves it! We live about 45 minutes drive away from the school but the commute is totally worth it as he has so much fun, gets to play with his friends, learn about nature and he's learnt loads of valuable new skills in a safe environment. His self-confidence has increased a lot and he's very comfortable being outside in nature and thinks nothing of being cold, wet or covered in mud (he likes to jump in muddy puddles!), he's learnt to just get on with things. The staff have been fantastic and always provide a fun and nurturing environment for our little man to learn new life skills and enjoy himself in the great outdoors. I can't recommend them enough, it's a great place to send your kids and a fantastic alternative to traditional pre-school settings. When our daughter is old enough, she'll be going too.

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.

My son (six) has been attending Great and Small Forest School for over a year now and he really enjoys his time there. Even on the coldest, wettest days, he still looks forward to going and he always has a smile on his face when I pick him up. The forest school leaders are amazing and have really taken the time to get to know my son. Their approach to teaching and learning is child-led and gentle. I would highly recommend Great and Small for anyone looking for a real forest school experience for their child.

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.

My daughter attends the Forest School and she absolutely loves it. Not only are the staff wonderful and hard working they are fabulous with the children. They facilitate learning through a hands-on approach and the children are able to experiment with real tools and practice ‘bush skills’. I wanted my daughter to be able to experience nature and to take ‘risks’ that would allow her to work through and assess the danger through problem-solving. The Forest School supports this beautifully and allows her to take on challenges safely. I watched her grow in confidence and I can’t recommend the forest school enough.

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.