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Nurseries

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Original poster

Advice needed: Forest Nursery

24 replies

Anazowmilo · 28/09/2020 21:52

So my son has just started at Forest Nursery. He has had two days to settle in and today is the first full day that he was there without myself or his dad around. Forest School is a new concept whereby the children are primarily outside in a forest setting and learn through the use of natural materials and environment.

He was dropped off at 9:45 and around 11:45 we had a phonecall from the nursery to say my son had been lost in the woods and found by a passer by who had called the police. I was at work (work for a University and this week is welcome week) so my partner went to see our child and deal with the drama.

I was not informed until a lot later, by my partner...not the school who did not even consider giving me a courtesy call to explain the circumstances on how he was able to wonder away.

I called the nursery myself to speak with his key worker and highlighted how disappointed I am with the service and also how worried that a child would wonder off on his first day. The fact of the matter is that he was left unattended for a number of minutes (he was found 1km away from the Forest School site). His key worker mentioned that another child in the group had hurt himself and she was busy tending to him...giving my son enough of an opportunity to wonder off by himself.

We were lucky that he was found and returned safely but I feel like it was very careless on their behalf, especially for this to happen on the first day that we are not there. We were reassured that this is the first incident they have had since they opened five years ago.

I have asked for a written log of the whole day so I can get a better understanding of where my son was and how this could happen. They mentioned an investigation would have to take place so they could improve processes.

Not entirely sure what my options are and whether I should send my son back there....anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

OP posts:

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Serenschintte · 28/09/2020 21:58

No advice, other than that is completely horrifying. Personally I wouldn’t be sending my child back and I’d be asking got a refund. They should have procedures in place to ensure no child wanders off.
Maybe Ofsted?

DucksSayAck · 28/09/2020 22:00

Not a chance I'd send my child back there. Absolutely unbelievable!

StellaGib · 28/09/2020 22:10

Is this a public woods they use or is it their own land? I just can't understand how they could have let a child wander away!

PineappleUpsideDownCake · 28/09/2020 22:15

Omg. What area roughly...

Def dont send him back.

LividLaughLovely · 28/09/2020 22:16

Of course he shouldn’t go back there, and there needs to be a formal investigation.

Onthedancefloor · 28/09/2020 22:16

I've had something a bit similar happen. DD was at a holiday childcare (run by the council) scheme when she was 4. I arrived to pick her up early one day. There was 1 staff member, who I'd never met before, looking after a classroom full of children. I asked where DD was, she asked one of the other children, who shrugged. The staff member then wandered off, leaving me, a complete stranger, with all the other children. She went to find the 2nd staff member, who was in a kitchen down the corridor, so both staff were out of sight and earshot of the children they were meant to be looking after.

I wasn't sure what to do, as I didn't want to leave all the other small children on their own in a room which led directly to the open playground (it was in a primary school, but no gates were locked and they were only using one room, which had a push open fire door, the staff member had opened it to let me in). I decided finding my DD was most important and went to look for her. I found her in another part of the school wandering around by herself. Neither staff member knew where she was, she could easily have left the building and no-one would have known. I reported them to Ofsted, nothing happened though, they weren't bothered at all. My DD did not go back, we would never use any childcare run by the council again, as they just couldn't care less, saying they were short staffed.

raspberryfields · 28/09/2020 22:34

Oh my goodness, how frightening. No, unless they provided something very convincing in terms of improvements/reflections and seemed utterly appalled by the potential consequences, I wouldn't send my DS back. Is your son ok? Are you ok?

raspberryfields · 28/09/2020 22:35

In fact, on reflection. I don't think I would send a child back regardless. I could never trust them again. And yes to telling ofsted. 1km is a long way.

Smellbellina · 28/09/2020 22:39

Is your DS ok? Bless him I imagine that could be quiet scary.

StillWeRise · 28/09/2020 22:44

is this in the UK?
definitely inform ofsted

StillWeRise · 28/09/2020 22:45

hopefully the police will also take some action

Heyha · 28/09/2020 22:46

Yes to Ofsted and no to using them again- the main alarm bell for me would be that it was the passer-by who did all the right things in terms of contacting the police. Forest school is fantastic but it's perhaps a bit of a bandwagon job lately with people operating it who maybe shouldn't...

nimbuscloud · 28/09/2020 22:49

Is it not in a secure area?
I’m all for outdoor settings but this sounds nuts.
Are you in the uk?

Babyvibe · 28/09/2020 22:56

Thats unforgiveable, I would not be sending my child back there. Lucky for the stranger to find him and phone the police. Definitely need to investigate the nursery, that's terrifying.

BabetteAteOtemeal · 28/09/2020 22:57

Wtaf I would not be sending my child back there at all.

Definitely inform OFSTED and I am baffled as to how this was allowed to happen. We viewed a forest school and it had fencing around their area. This is a London though so not a proper forest.

I'm so sorry OP, that must have been awful.

APurpleSquirrel · 28/09/2020 23:10

This is awful. Forest School - it's actually been around for several decades - but I've done the leader training & of the FS & FS Kindergartens I've been involved with or known about, all have a fenced area with secure one-gate access. Of the couple with open forest access, they are only for FS sessions, not Kindergarten or nursery aged children unless accompanied by adults.
Are they Ofsted registered? What are their safeguarding policies? These should be available to you as a parent. You could also ask to see their Risk Assessments as these should also detail what they should do in such a situation.
The fact that one member of staff was dealing with an accident means the other staff should have taken a head count as a matter of course just to check no-one else was involved. A registrar should also be taken twice a day & regular headcounts.
I wouldn't be happy to send my child back I'm afraid.

VillageGreenTree · 28/09/2020 23:11

Oh dear, poor you OP, I think I would feel very upset too. I am glad your son is safe and sound now.
Forest school has been around for many years in my area of Surrey, our twins went12 years ago and there are many long-standing thriving Forest schools near us so they have had plenty of time to iron out risk management.
You mention your son's nursery being a new set up. Could this have played a part in the incident? Inexperienced staff?
Could your Forest School Nursery liaise with a more established Forest school to perhaps mentor them? Ask the more established Forest Schools how they do things?
I am sure the staff feel absolutely terrible and will be hyper vigilant now. I would have a chat to them to hear how they are going to change things but I wouldn't necessarily stop sending my child there.

insancerre · 03/10/2020 06:59

Oh dear
No way would I be sending my child back there and you absolutely need to inform ofsted of this
The nursery should be informing ofsted themselves, but in case they don’t, then you need to do it, to ensure this doesn’t happen again

PineappleUpsideDownCake · 03/10/2020 07:01

What area are you in?

VashtaNerada · 03/10/2020 07:09

Christ that is not good. I’ve done Forest School style trips with my class and it is a logistical nightmare, but that really shouldn’t have happened. There should be adults based on every ‘exit’ and frequent head counts. I suppose theoretically a small child could burrow through undergrowth and then run off quite fast whilst the adult turns the other way but that feels unlikely. Hopefully this has put the fear of god into them and they are reviewing their processes now.

MichelleOR84 · 03/10/2020 18:09

That is horrifying! I’m sure it was just a once off however that should never happen . I couldn’t send my child back if that happened to me .

Terrace58 · 03/10/2020 18:20

My now 11yo was the very first child enrolled at a newly created forest school when she was 3. Their regular “classroom” had plenty of space to wander and explore, but was in fact a curated and fenced space. That meant the teachers could relax a bit. There were still spaces out of the eye line, and places where a child could fall, but things like ponds were always visible.

On the days they were out in the real forest, they had a better adult to child ratio. They also would wait a few days after getting a new child to sort of learn their patterns before venturing out into the actual forest.

Im not sure what I would do if I was the op. Now that my dd is 11, I can say things like it really might have been a fluke. As long as they take responsibility and don’t just blame the child, it probably won’t happen again. If it was 8 years ago when I was already nervous about the creek and the snakes and the coyotes (not in U.K.), I’m not sure I would be able to get past it.

It’s an incredibly valuable form of nursery school despite the fact that it is always going to be riskier than a controlled classroom and playground full of equipment designed with safety in mind.

Fandabydosey · 08/10/2020 20:12

The nursery should be reporting this to ofsted themselves. How scary for all concerned. Forest school sessions should be lead by a level 3 forest school leader. I would be taking the matter further not to punish the nursery but to ensure procedures are put in place to prevent this from happening again. I am glad your child is OK and unharmed

mumtobabygilrl · 30/10/2020 16:28

Report to ofstead immediately and I wouldn't be back. Our DD goes to a regular nursery but they do forex
St school one day a week, fully outdoors but in a private enclosed space - where is this nursery just in a public area? How did he wander off if there were gates/fences? Dreadful of them

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