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Little Forest Folk Morden

Ofsted: Good
(May 2023)
·
4.8(5 parent reviews) ·Land to the rear of 318-344 Cannon Hill Lane, London, SW20 9HL · Merton
Number of places
24 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
May 2023
Local authority
Merton

About this day nursery

Little Forest Folk Morden offers a unique forest school experience for children aged 2 and above, operating year-round for 51 weeks. Located at Cannon Hill Lane Scout Hall, the nursery provides both indoor facilities and a spacious one-acre woodland garden, allowing children to engage in free play and explore a natural, wild setting.

The approach is child-led and play-based, encouraging imagination and creativity using natural materials. The nursery provides a full-day program from 8am to 6pm, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

A highlight is the weekly 'Wild Cooking' activity, fostering culinary skills and food exploration. Children have access to various vegetations and areas within their woodland garden, as well as adjacent green spaces and a nearby common for extensive outdoor exploration.

The facility also includes a cosy sleeping area for children who require rest during the day and a fire circle for engaging conversations. The nursery requires a minimum attendance of two days per week.

Our ethos

Our play is child-led and play-based. Children's imaginations are the only barrier to a day at Little Forest Folk and they are encouraged to run, imagine, create and reflect. We use our environment as our third teacher with resources being primarily natural materials which create provocations to stimulate highly engaged play through fascination, awe and wonder.

What it's like

Children feel secure and self-assured due to a warm welcome from staff. They spend most of their time exploring outdoor learning opportunities and are familiar with forest rules, demonstrating an ability to keep themselves safe. Children cooperate well, engaging in imaginative play and showing concentration during activities like planting seeds.

Forest SchoolChild-led playOutdoor-focused curriculumAll-inclusive mealsYear-round operation

Pricing & funding

Charges are based on full-day sessions running from 8:00am to 6:00pm, operating 51 weeks a year. Fees are billed monthly based on the number of days attended per week. Funded hours are subject to additional hourly charges for food, consumables, and extra activities.

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)

Good to know

  • Open 51 weeks a year, offering full day sessions from 8:00am to 6:00pm.
  • Funded hours are subject to additional charges for food, consumables, and activities.

Key facts

Opening hours

8am to 6pm, 51 weeks per year (Monday-Friday)

Food

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are included.

Age range

2+

Term time / All Year

All Year

Session types

Full Day, Holiday Camps

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Little Forest Folk Morden

Last inspected 3 May 2023 · Marisol Hernandez-Garn

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children feel secure and self-assured due to a warm welcome from staff. They spend most of their time exploring outdoor learning opportunities and are familiar with forest rules, demonstrating an ability to keep themselves safe. Children cooperate well, engaging in imaginative play and showing concentration during activities like planting seeds.

Inspector highlights

  • Children receive a warm welcome and caring support, helping them settle quickly.
  • Children spend most of their time exploring outdoor learning opportunities, developing early writing skills and learning forest rules.
  • Staff use accurate observations to provide a curriculum that sparks children's interest, including royal celebrations and promoting interest in living things.
  • Staff have high expectations for children's learning, promoting physical skills, choices, and early mathematical skills, leading to strong progress for all children.
  • Children develop a love of stories and are highly independent learners, taking responsibility for self-care and toileting.
  • The manager effectively evaluates the quality of the provision to make continuous improvements, such as revamping the outdoor area.

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen partnership working with other childcare providers to offer children a more consistent learning experience
  • 2continue to sharpen the focus of staff's professional development to extend their knowledge and skills even further.
Inspection #10285489 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents are particularly complimentary about the level of care their children receive.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make strong progress from their various starting points. Although staff work with professionals, such as speech and language therapists, this partnership is less successful with teachers from other childcare providers.

Outdoor space

Children spend most of their time exploring the wealth of learning opportunities outdoors. For example, they love making marks in the ground using twigs or sticks, which helps to develop their early writing skills. The manager is revamping the outdoor area to further promote children's natural curiosity.

Parent Reviews of Little Forest Folk Morden

4.8
(5)
Sarah Moxon
7 months ago

I cannot recommend LFF Morden highly enough! My eldest daughter recently moved on to school, and now my youngest is spending her days in the forest. It would take the longest review ever written to truly capture the magic of LFF! Sarah and the teacher team are absolutely wonderful - their energy and enthusiasm are really sets them apart. They take the time to really get to know each child, then actively weave their individual passions and perspectives into the learning experience. My eldest daughter absolutely loved exploring nature and took the initiative to plant and nurture her own flowers. The teachers noticed her interest and introduced her to making small clay pots - it's now one of her favourite hobbies! All in all, it's a wonderful nursery setting and we feel so fortunate to have found them.

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Jenna Allenbrook
a year ago

Our child has been at Little Forest Folk for 2 years and has absolutely flourished during his time there. The staff are so kind, caring and supportive of each child, really going the extra mile to get to know each one as an individual. Being outdoors in nature is a huge advantage and having that opportunity has meant his creativity and problem-solving skills have increased, along with his confidence. I think they managed to find a great balance between free play and also teaching skills that kids need to prepare them for school ahead.

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Claudia Dodds
10 months ago

We moved our son to Little Forest Folk after we were unhappy with our previous nursery and we are so glad we did! He has thrived under their care. One of our issues with the previous nursery was the minimal time spent outdoors, whereas at LFF they are outside the majority of the day in all weathers doing various activities but also just playing. Another factor that drew us to LFF was the fact that the children play in a mixed age group, we felt this to be more beneficial to our son’s development and more intuitive than separating children out into rooms by age. We have found Sarah and the rest of the educators to be very responsive, sensible and empathetic - if we bring something up at the gate, they truly listen and feedback to us which is fantastic. We just get the impression that staff actually care about and understand our child and all his funny little quirks. Regular photo updates, detailed progress reports and a daily bulletin means that we know what he gets up to - this was something we lacked from his previous setting. Our son comes home every day muddy, tired and happy, which is all we can ask for really!

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Pria Young
a year ago

We feel extremely grateful that our children have the opportunity to attend Little Forest Folk Morden. The staff and management team are so caring, compassionate and responsive (in a calm and receptive manner) to the needs of the children. The outdoor space allows the children to climb, swing, and explore, and inspires imaginative play and creativity. We highly recommend Little Forest Folk!

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Little Forest Folk Morden. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Most recent inspection

3 May 2023

Good

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

Frequently asked about Little Forest Folk Morden

About the setting

Little Forest Folk Morden registered in 2021 and is located in the London Borough of Merton. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff, one with early years professional status and five with early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3.

URN
2632775
Registered person
Little Forest Folk Ltd
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more