School Outdoors Dulwich

One of the most (if not THE most) rewarding parenting decisions we've been able to make. We were lucky to hear about School Outdoors from a parent whose older daughter's confidence my wife saw when in the playground one day and asked where she went to nursery.

Where to start? The staff and management are so dutiful and caring, they genuinely make our daughter feel extremely secure and loved. There has also been minimal staff turnover (certainly no drama) and they deserve huge respect for their skill and dedication to everything required to deliver outdoor education every day whatever the weather.

Our daughter has developed and become noticeably more independent and confident. She can need a bit of a chill on the weekends after a full week at Forest school but that is great (selfishly) in that we don't have a bundle of energy busting to get to the playground first thing. We would highly recommend the benefits of the full 5 days per week and have signed our infant son up too!

A very special nursery - truly excellent staff who are caring, dedicated, positive and thoughtful. Fosters independence in our child alongside a comforting structure and community. Only area we would like to see change is a more accessible route to the site in autumn and winter for grandparents to help with pick ups.

Thanks to all the staff for their care and hard work.

Long story short, this place is great. If we have any more children, we won't hesitate to send them to the School Outdoors. If anything, we wish our little one would never have to leave!

We feel incredibly lucky to be part of this community.

This has been our third nursery for our daughter and by far the best. The site itself is magical and our daughter loves the outdoors but for us, the staff is what has makes it so great. They seem to attract very well qualified and passionate staff, they are all very knowledgeable, patient and excellent with pre-schoolers. In the year that we have been here, there has been no staff changes (apart from maternity cover). We feel that they have really got to know our daughter and supported her development. She loves all of them, which wasn't the case at previous places.

School Outdoors Dulwich has been such a fantastic experience for our son and for us as a family. He is so much more confident since being here, has learnt an appreciation for nature and the outdoors and even picked up some cycling skills! The staff are friendly and nurturing, good communicators and seem to have wonderfully creative ideas to capture the children's imagination. I would thoroughly recommend this to any parent.

My son attended for 3 days a week and I am very sad his adventure with the Forrest School is now over. In the era of screens and social media, it is a great alternative for our kids.

The best nursery experience we have ever had as a family. The daily communication and photos from the staff to the parents are brilliant and my son, who is quite clingy, settled easily and now runs in every morning to say hello to everyone. The food is great and they have the perfect balance of learning, exploring and socialising. I honestly could go on and on about how incredible this nursery is! The teachers are experienced and clearly enjoy their work and spending time with the children.

I've been thoroughly impressed with my daughter's experience at the outdoor nursery, especially during the summer months. The setting is perfect for children to explore and learn in the sunshine, surrounded by nature. The variety of activities keeps them engaged and continuously learning in a fun and dynamic way. The staff are exceptional - professional, warm, and genuinely passionate about their roles, which really enhances the children's experience. A highlight was the beautifully organised graduation ceremony for the children leaving in September. It was a touching and memorable event that celebrated their achievements in such a special way. As a parent, I appreciate the nursery's openness and the quality of interactions the staff have with both the children and parents. I highly recommend this nursery for anyone looking for a nurturing and vibrant outdoor learning environment for their child.

Our son joined School Outdoors last year a couple of months after his second birthday, and has absolutely loved it. We were a little nervous about how the winter would go, but it was absolutely fine with the school providing a very clear list on the clothing needed, and once the kids are wrapped up they really enjoy the ability to be outside and play in the mud and rain and to enjoy the sunshine when it does come! Getting involved with such a wide variety of activities such as chopping wood, making fires for cooking on, understanding nature and helping to grow vegetables has helped him to learn a much wider range of skills (as well as the traditional learning of letters/numbers etc.), and he is very proud of telling us what he has been doing at the end of every day. The teachers are excellent, and keep us updated on our son's day via an app with lots of photos. His confidence has really grown over the time he has been there, and we are very pleased with our choice of nursery.

A magical place and wouldn't change a thing. Our daughter has just finished 2 wonderful years here. The winters are not that bad! The kids are fine with being outside (with appropriate clothes) - it's just a mental thing for parents, which you get over quickly. Clothes-wise - sort yourself out with proper gear and decent wellies. Don't waste your time/money on rubbish gear as you'll eventually end up buying the good warm/dry stuff. Secondhand is fine - The kids rarely get sick as they're not cooped up inside! The staff are lovely and engaging. The kids go cycling on Mondays and were all riding normal bikes by the age of 3 - simply brilliant. The kids do drawing, colouring, arts and crafts, sawing, peeling, chopping, gardening, nature walks, and day trips, and all love nature, bugs, and mud. They are now fearless about bad weather! The kids are now all super adventurous and confident. There's a good bunch of parents (and social media groups of course)!

We couldn't recommend it more.

Thanks everyone.

My 3 children have been to a number of kindergartens in London as well as abroad. Without doubt, SOD is the best! The team of people are incredible - they love their work, they love the children and the children thrive as a result. It is a unique place, being an outdoors kindergarten, and all my children have benefited enormously. Thank you to all the staff that make this haven of children being children the unique place that it is.

Forest school is magical. Our son absolutely loves it here - he started when he was just over two years old and settled very quickly and loves the setting so much. Compared to indoor nursery, he has not been ill nearly as much as the fresh air really does help in all sorts of ways. The setting is absolutely beautiful - tucked away behind tons of trees and greenery, the kids get to do different things every day. The winters can be tough - more so for the adults than kids, our son was fine but the laundry and pickups are a bit more complex in the dark / mud (but this all comes with the territory of forest school). I wish there were primary schools in the area that followed the forest school curriculum because it really is amazing and our son is so happy, confident and sleeps like a dream after all day outdoors.

My son loves attending School Outdoors Dulwich. The communication from management and from staff day to day is excellent. I always feel in the loop and informed with day to day nursery life. I love getting photos and videos of my son cooking on an open fire, tie-dying, using tools and playing with friends. The different activities each day are amazing. Each member of the team are brilliant and all of them know my son on a really individual basis. My son had some challenges and the staff were amazing at supporting him and working with me as a team. I’ll be so sad when he has to leave.

Forest School has been such a wonderful experience for my daughter. She started when she turned three and enjoys it much more than her previous (largely indoor) nursery. She has made great friends, learnt skills we would have never taught her ourselves, and become more resilient. The current team of educators are fantastic; they are great role models for her and are very attentive and thoughtful. Winter had its challenges, largely from a practical point of view (so much mud!), but my daughter was much less bothered by the cold and wet weather than I expected her to be. I remember once feeling guilty on a very rainy day and going to pick her up a bit early, only to find her desperate to stay and splash in puddles for longer!

We absolutely love School Outdoors Dulwich! We moved to Herne Hill in May 2022, and forest school has been by far the best thing about moving here for us. We wanted our child to attend a forest school because he was prone to breathing problems whenever he caught a cold at nursery - we thought being in the fresh air could solve that, and having both grown up in the countryside, we liked the idea that this was a great natural gift whilst living in London. It has been everything we hoped for and more. The staff are lovely, the site feels like a magic little fairy den, and our son begs to go on his days off! You can tell when you see the kids, how much they are benefitting - there's a freedom and special aliveness about kids when they're spending a lot of time out in nature. My family have all noticed that since he started at forest school, he has grown in confidence and overall happiness. He sings their songs all the time and is constantly telling me about nature on our walks. Thank you to the manager and all!

My daughter has been at the Forest School since February; she loves it, and we do too! The staff are professional, caring, energetic and kind. They have a great relationship with my daughter, and she comes home full of excitement about what they do each day. Like some other preferences, having a proper Forest School in London is such an amazing facility; I wish it existed when my son was younger. Communication with parents (through the management and on-site at drop off/pick ups) is great, and since we have been at the forest school, the management has implemented improvements, which are so great to see. We really get the sense that there is a strong commitment to making the Forest School a great success for all. Everyone talks about the winter weather but also a massive shout out to the management of the extreme heat in the summer - the kids were kept cool and happy in their little glade - idyllic!