To maintain quality and continuity of care, we always have more staff on duty than Ofsted minimum staffing ratios require, enabling us to cover for staff holidays and sickness at short notice. All our staff are permanently contracted employees of the Nursery. We do not employ bank or casual staff or staff on zero hours contracts.
All our staff undertake a full enhanced Disclosure and Baring Service (criminal records check) on an annual basis. All have to have an up to date externally accredited Paediatric First Aid certificate and as we take children out into the community and into natural environments away from the Nursery all our staff have to successfully complete a special four hour bespoke Outdoor First Aid Certificate. This has course has been designed by the Nursery and also externally accredited. As well as this, all staff have to have an up to date food hygiene and Child Safeguarding Certificate.
A highly qualified and experienced team
Our staff hold a wide range of qualifications including N.V.Qs. degrees and teaching qualifications, we also employ a full time Forest School Leader. A number of our staff team are currently undertaking degree level courses or higher. All are inspired by, and share our enthusiasm for the environment, our Forest School philosophy and understanding that practice must be based on the latest research-based evidence in childcare and education. A significant number of our staff have been employed by the Nursery for many years.
Professional development
All our staff are expected to continuously develop their skills and experience. We regularly take a small group of our staff to Denmark as part of their continuous professional development. Here they experience what it is really like to work in a Scandinavian Forest School and international education. They then bring their experiences back to the Nursery and Forest School.
Health and wellbeing
The emotional health and wellbeing of our children and our staff is very important to us. We have designated one member of our staff as our Mindfulness Lead. This member of staff has undertaken specific training to fulfil this important role. We employ our own empathy dog (Freddie the miniature dachshund) who spends most days at the Nursey as well as our empathy doll (Gretl). Freddie is fun, but as an empathy dog, he also has a more serious role at Nursery. He helps some of our children, especially those with a special educational need or disability who may, for many reasons, have difficulties communicating, expressing their emotions or feeling relaxed.
Our facilities
Whilst children attending Nursery spend lots of time outdoors playing, learning and exploring the natural environment, we recognised that the quality of our indoor environment is of equal importance. Internally, the Nursery has been completely redesigned to meet our Scandinavian Forest School philosophy. We have deliberately ensured that the Nursery is bright, light and spacious. All our indoor furniture, fittings and many of our toys are made from light, natural wood. We have deliberately installed very large floor to ceiling sliding windows in our ground floor units in order to allow as much natural light to flow into the building as possible. These large windows can be opened to allow children direct access to fresh air all day and view our outdoor leaning area. We have fitted adjustable SAD lighting, which mimics natural daylight, to make our internal environment as natural as is possible.