Yeeha! Forest Pre-School

PROSPECTUS

The only premium, local full-time Forest Pre-School in the area, bringing children the essential benefits of learning through play in the great outdoors.

Our large, bright, high-ceilinged building benefits from being encircled within our own extensive outdoor spaces and is situated at the heart of the community.

Just a hop, skip and jump away from so many wilderness spaces around us - Nunhead Cemetery with it’s glorious woodland, One Tree Hill with it’s leafy, hilly relief - bringing the ultimate wider horizons with its breath-taking views, Brenchley Gardens with it’s tree tunnels and gently sloping grassy glades and Peckham Rye Park where we access the river Peck for stream walking, the Arboretum for tree identification and the Chinese garden for pond dipping and adventures in the bamboo forest. Dulwich Park, with it’s wide open spaces and woodland fringes where we make towering shelters over full terms.

With so much access to green space immediately at and next to our doorstep, children of all abilities benefit from supporting their innate connection, appreciation and sense of responsibility for wildlife and wild spaces. Through playing and learning in the great outdoors, surrounded by tress and nature, children build feelings of well-being, resilience, self-worth, confidence, independence, physical and social mastery and to top it all - a genuine love of learning.

Over-all health and well-being are proven positives of Forest School. Vitamin D increases the strength and growth of strong bones. Microorganisms in the soil build immunity and proximity and contact with nature alleviates stress and anxiety.  The benefits of Forest School are exponential and essential in providing early years children the very best start in their preparation for primary school, allowing them the last flourish and freedom to run free, jump, sing, shout, climb, swing, dance, sway with the leaves and make like the animals around them while they learn and perfect skills. Soon they will be expected to learn in static situations - you know the drill…Sit still. Eyes on me. Fingers on lips. Save questions to the end type school etc.

2-5 is when children are mobile enough to explore the full capacities and boundaries of their physical, emotional and social potential and well-being. In short - it’s the time to really celebrate being a child, before the lure of smart-phones, screen time and play-ground politics swallows them up. At Yeeha!, we believe in equipping children with practical, hands-on life skills and an awareness of what is real, important, mindful and kind. Harnessing the cues from nature and widening children’s vernacular about who they can be, how they can connect with others and what are the right choices. 

Kindness, curiosity, creativity and courage all are embedded while children are allowed to experience and learn while they’re on-the-go; free to move. Free to be… 

Of course the full curriculum as defined in the EYFS is delivered so children gain mastery in all 7 areas: Speech and Language. Literature. Personal, Social and Emotional development, Physical development, Numeracy, Expressive Art and Design, Knowledge and Understanding of the World but this is offered up in a practical, exciting, inspiring and opportunity-rich way that accelorates children’s wonder and awe of nature, their own potential and of hope and possibilities for extraordinary futures.

We don’t expect faculty and children to be outdoors at all times but the opportunity is there and to be relished. The only time we won’t be freely able to enjoy our local wilderness’ is when there are high winds and then we’ve got our own green oasis which is safe in all weathers.

Our days start and end with a hearty meal at our setting, where children are welcomed with open arms, songs and music. After checking who is up for outdoor adventures, our kit is checked (including all safety equipment and first aid supplies). Risk assessments are reviewed. Children’s attire is given the once-over to ensure they’re all togged-up ready for whatever the weather brings and then off we go! Where the wild things are, on a bear hunt, swishy swoshy!

We are organised in groups of children who are named: Explorers, Little Scouts, Big Chiefs and Wolf Pack.

Each group will take it in turns on a weekly basis in going out to the wilderness for Forest School and parents will have a schedule of when their children are out in the wild so they can make sure they are properly kitted out for the day.

Wilderness Forest School sessions will be offered in the mornings between 9-12, so that children have plenty of time in nature to hone their critical thinking, problem solving, physical mastery, social interactions, speech, language and personal/emotional skills.

Carefully planned activities and curriculum will support children’s interests, fascinations, Next Steps and optimal development.

Through orienteering games, shelter building, bird, bug, flower, fungus, plant and tree ID walks, children will build a wide and varied bank of speech and language which reflects the changing seasons.

STEM abilities will be scaffolded as children pond-dip, stream-walk, make walk-ways and dams, build individual and group dens, concoct potions, collect seeds and forage for edible plants and fungus. 

Personal, Social and Emotional development skills are mastered by children’s focus on the making and managing of relationships, self-regulation and executive function - enabling children to improve working memory, mental flexibility and self-control by working as part of a team and as individuals.

Expressive art and design is magnified ten-fold as children are inspired by the patterns, sequences and colours nature presents throughout the seasons. This inspires great creativity and unlimited expression that opens the possibilities and potential of children’s scope to learn, communicate, create and achieve. 

We have a brilliant chef who prepares fresh, heart meals daily on site using the best quality, organic ingredients that support optimal development and health. Children and faculty eat together and mealtimes are happy, sociable opportunities where we share ideas, hopes and stories about our days. Children are encouraged to serve themselves and others from the vegetable sides set out at the tables.

We serve a light breakfast, cold lunch and hot supper right the way through the year.

Whole-food snacks of veggies and fruits are available at all times to keep children’s energy levels up, fresh organic whole-milk is offered at meal times and fresh water is in constant reach with children using open cups and pouring from jugs themselves.

For those tuckered-out from all the adventures and great food, there is quite time and quiet space to pull up a floor hammock and cotton sleeping bag for a bit of restful shut-eye. We safeguard sleep for all children in the early years. Understanding and promoting the importance of sleep for brain and muscle development, cognitive improvement, restorative health and well-being. Sleep also supports immunity, so we never prevent any child from benefitting from essential sleep needs.

After sleep or rest time, up-and-at-em children can continue their explorations in our natural, resource-rich indoor and outdoor classrooms. Sand-play, construction, problem solver’s walls, climbing frames, ball games, obstacle courses, construction, water play, role-play, library and music areas are all on one level - accessible for children to be active learners accelerating interest and independence.

Planned, bespoke activities are tailored to individual children’s interests, age and stage of development and next steps in mind so well-being and achievement brings belief and security in children’s own abilities and potential. This is how children truly thrive:

Children’s needs are met, their resilience is scaffolded by targeted praise for effort and attitude, activities and resources are planned for each child’s progress to be optimised and health scaffolded within an enabling environment of warm, loving, active, experienced, vocationally committed Early Years Educator faculty that want the very best for every child and family. 

We end our days with stories and songs to prepare us for the journey home. We’ve had plenty of fresh air. Masses of exercise both physical and cognitive. Our tummies are full and oral health has been protected. Our optimal outcomes are ensured - giving families the reassurance and time to share a light snack and tales from their daily adventures before bath, story and bed at home - knowing your child has had the very best day possible, with all their needs more than met.

Yeeha!