Playology forest School - castle eden dene

Forest school at Castle Eden Dene Natural England

During Summer 2023, Playology acquired a beautiful, OUTSTANDING forest school at the site, and we plan to develop it further; consisting of sessional attendance options for children aged from 2 to 5, Monday to Thursday during term time (38 weeks)

Playology is now operating in the ancient woodland of Castle Eden Dene; and we are proud to say that all regulations and requirements are fully met. We have opened our register of interest, and already operate a waiting list for Seaham Harbour marina and Souter Lighthouse. Priority of places will be given based on date of registration, and number of attendances required

The commitment to Playology forest school will be long term; with one full term notice required for cancellation

You will have the choice of a minimum of two days per week for your forest schooler

During this time, we will follow the Playology Philosophy in our approach to learning. Read more about the holistic benefits to creative playful learning and those of learning immersed in nature

Your child’s forest school days will include extras such as Spanish & yoga as well as nature-based forest school activities such as den building, authentic, huge-scale mud & water play, campfire cooking and many more rich, unique experiences

Read our SISTER SITE OFSTED inspection report here

Playology forest school is perfect for…

Children who are at home with a new sibling or being cared for by relatives

Children who are currently/have previously attended Playology clubs and are already familiar with the space and teaches

Children who attend another part time preschool or other childcare and would benefit from a different learning environment, a child-led approach & enquiry led learning

Parents who are not ready to send their child to full-time nursery and would prefer to gradually introduce them to a group setting and educational experience

Parents who are flexi-schooling or home-schooling their child

Parents who would like nature-based, child-led education for their child

Further clarity

approach

As far as labelling our approach; it is a rich tapestry of ideas and beliefs drawn from worldwide leaders in early education, woven together to form the Playology Philosophy. From a practical perspective, our planning and delivery of teaching happens predominantly ‘in the moment’, and we have an unshakable play-based approach. We take a great deal of inspiration from Denmark and the Froebellian outdoor kindergartens with their nature-based approach to early childhood education and care. We are influenced by and draw inspiration from some of the values of Reggio Emilia preschools in northern Italy; in that we believe in child-centred and experiential learning. We value children as strong, capable, resilient and wise. We refer to children as “little and brave” and we believe that relationships drive learning when educators are warm and responsive to children. We work too with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which covers seven areas of learning and development from birth to five.

included

All sessions are fully inclusive of all care,beach school activities, nappies, trips and outings, spanish and yoga. We will also have many opportunities to cook our own brunch and bites to eat on the campfire

payment

Payable as an equal monthly amount over 11 months (excluding August) for your convenience. Unfortunately, we can not refund sick days or holidays

staff:child ratios

In order to provide the highest quality provision, and to ensure safety in this unique learning environment we operate with 1 adult to 4 children of all ages - which is higher than traditional settings, as this is not a traditional setting!

refreshments

All drinks also provided by Playology; and will include (optional) hot chocolates made by campfire, organic smoothies self made by children, and milk

places

There are 12 places, and places are extremely limited as you can appreciate at this exclusive, nature-based preschool at this outstanding location

waiting list

Places will be allocated by date of registration, with priority given to parents requesting higher weekly attendance. Siblings of children already attending will also take priority. Please also consider, there may be place availability for certain attendance patterns over others.

forest school faqs

 Do children need to be toilet trained before starting?

There is no expectation of children to be toilet trained before attending Playology.

Would it be possible to come and have a visit before we fully commit?

Absolutely. We plan to host ‘walkabout’ open days for parents, as well as Fresh Air Club: mini division sessions

Will you be able to accept funded childcare hours once children reach 3?

Yes, we are a registered provider and can support you to access this funding. Your funding will be deducted from your fees and invoiced accordingly. At the moment, 15 hours (universal) funding and 30 hours (extended) funding can be accessed at Playology.

What is the plan for days when the weather is particularly bad?

We believe that there is no such thing as bad weather; only inappropriate clothing. That said, your child’s comfort and safety are our absolute priority and we have a beautiful space available within The garden as well as our beautiful Workshop within The Lodge in which to retreat daily. Both our indoor & outdoor environments are set up meticulously to meet the full requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We will carry out dynamic risk assessments ‘in the moment’ and adjust our forest school activities accordingly; having shorter bursts of outdoor education if it is deemed appropriate.

Please feel free to use the forest school Enquiry form below with any further questions you might have, to register your interest or to plan the next stage of your child’s registration process. All parents registered will be invited along for a ‘walkabout’ including an Information Session at Playology in the near future, prior to registration and the commencement of the programme.

register your interest below…

Please click this link to fill out this form…

… and we will be in touch with you to discuss joining the waiting list - be sure to state you’re interested in our Castle Eden Dene site!