Woodlands is managed by Kelly Bartle, who has a Foundation Degree in Early Years as well as many years experience of caring for children.
At Woodlands we are keen for our children to be able to play freely outside whenever possible, giving them the opportunity to be more physically active, and in touch with nature. To that end it is our policy to use our fabulous gardens as much and as often as we can, weather permitting.
The spacious and enclosed outdoor area includes:
The Baby & Tweenie Garden: The babies and tweenies use the lovely shady and green play area at the front of the house. This includes a ball pool, sand pit, baby swings, a small climbing frame and a little house. The garden offers plenty of space for varied play in a safe and secure environment away from the older children.
The baby and tweenie staff teams also ensure that our little ones get as much fresh air as possible by taking them out on short walks as often as possible.
Pre-school Play Area: this is designated to the preschool department to provide space needed for free flow activities from indoor to outdoor. It consists of a paved area for riding bikes and cars and for pushing prams, and a large natural wooded and woodchipped area which has various equipment that allows for self discovery, investigation and exploration, and construction. Our pre-school play area also provides the older children with the space and opportunity for more physical and challenging play, with large activities such as parachute games and ring games. When weather permits, we offer all indoor activities outdoors as well, as children are often happier and more ready to learn in an outdoor environment. In addition the children explore nature in more depth by growing their own fruit and vegetables.
Tweenies also often use the pre-school area for supervised play to offer them more challenging outdoor activities.
"Staff positively embrace the outdoor learning opportunities for babies and children of all ages and abilities. They have reduced their reliance on
manufactured toys and equipment to encourage children to be more adventurous through exploration, investigation and taking safe risks. This in turn promotes
their confidence, self esteem and independence. Babies crawl on the grass and explore resources under the willow dome. Toddlers investigate the sand and water,
practice their developing walking skills and make marks with paint together on paper. Older children enjoy making marks with water and brushes on the patio and
practice writing their names."
Woodlands OFSTED 2009
