Frequently asked questions

Below are common questions from parents, please have a read through these and if you still have questions then we would love to hear from you.

How do I sign up?

To register your interest in joining us, please contact us using the details on the Contact Us page.

Can I visit The Little Firefly Forest School?

Before joining The Little Firefly, we would encourage you to come and visit us. Please contact us to arrange popping by for a tour and possibly a hot chocolate!

Is there a minimum requirement of attendance?

In order to give children the best learning opportunities we ask for a minimum of one session per week.

At present, we operate three days a week. Depending on demand this may change in the future. We offer a choice of three sessions a day: 8:30am - 4:30pm, 8:30am - 12:30pm and 12:30pm - 4:30pm.

What do you do when it rains and is cold?

As long as the children are dressed appropriately to be outdoors (see our recommended kit list), then we stay outdoors! We won't let the cold stop us from running around and playing! We also have large, lightweight tarps that provide additional shelter from any heavy rain or biting winds. We will often have a fire burning outside and the tipi will be extra snug and warm, particularly in the winter when the wood burner will be lit.

Don't forget, nurseries in Scandinavia will allow children to play outdoors until it hits -10 degrees!

What about toileting?

We are very lucky to have a composting toilet and cubicle. This works just like a normal toilet but without the flush. Composting loos are environmentally friendly, clean and easy to use. We provide warm water and soap for hand washing after toileting and before snack-time.

For children still in nappies, we have a special nappy changing area within the toilet cubicle. Please ensure you provide us with enough nappies, wipes etc. to last the entire session. We take all of the nappies away with us and dispose of them appropriately.

How is the well-being of my child safeguarded?

Safeguarding is our first priority in everything we do. We operate on private land, that the public does not have access to, with a gate between the site and the road. To ensure safety, our staff work upon a strict ratio of one teacher to four children (as opposed to the standard nursery ratios of 1:8). In addition to this the children will be provided with a high visibility vest to wear at all times. With one practitioner for every six children, the children are always within immediate line of sight and proximity to a staff member, always within our boundary. All staff members are required to have a valid and up to date DBS (police check). We take safeguarding extremely seriously and any concerns must be reported to our DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) Georgie Adams in the first instance.

When do places become available?

Our main intakes will be in September, January and April. From time to time places do open up mid-term when, for example, when children move away, and in these situations we will offer a place to the next suitable child on our waiting list. If your child is starting with us in the winter, be mindful of how your little one copes in the chiller weather. You may want to do a few outings with them to prepare them for being outdoors more often.

How does your waiting list work?

Our waiting lists operate on a first-come, first-served basis with places allocated depending on the days requested and available. We need to ensure that we have the correct number of two, three and four year olds so that we can plan our days effectively, Due to EYFS ratios we take a certain number of each age group.

Special Educational Needs

We operate a comprehensive SEN and Inclusion policy. Our founder and nursery manager is a qualified and experienced SENDCo. We will work collaboratively with parents and other professionals and individual play plans will be put in place to ensure your child's needs are met.

For drop off and pick up, is there parking available?

We are lucky enough to have a parking area and this can be used to drop off and settle your children. We want to ensure that our neighbours aren't caused too much inconvenience, so it's important for parents to be considerate and drive safely. Where possible, please try to lift share with other parents, this will reduce traffic and our carbon footprint.

Napping children

For the little ones that would like a nap during the day, we a sheltered hammock area and 4 season sleeping bags. Children napping in hammocks go off to sleep very easily and sleeping outdoors is proven to be beneficial to our children as well as given a deeper level of sleep.

What happens in case of an accident?

We aim to develop a natural risk assessment process in the children that attend The Little Firefly, which will lead to a more secure understanding of the child's capabilities and limits.

Just like a mainstream nursery, we have an evacuation plan in case of an emergency. In case of an accident, the first aider will attend to your child whilst another member of staff will call the emergency services and the parents. Alternatively, for less serious situations, we will treat your child with first aid and call you to check you are happy for them to stay for the rest of the day or be collected early.

What happens in severe weather?

In the case of a severe storm with high winds, we may have to close early or close for the day, we will avoid closing unless we absolutely have to. This does not include snow, when we endeavor to open as usual, as long a we can all get to the site safely. It important to note, that if we are due a large amount of snow, parents may need to collect children early so we can ensure everyone gets home safely.

When do places become available?

Our main intakes will be in September, January and April. From time to time places do open up mid-term, for example, when children move away, and in these situations we will offer a place to the next suitable child on our waiting list. If your child is starting with us in the winter, we usually advise that they are 2 ½ years old. Be mindful of how your little one copes in the chillier weather, you may want to do a few outings with them to prepare them for being outdoors more often.
What are your ratios of educators to children?

We are proud to have a 1:4 ratio of staff to children, for all ages and at all points of the day - this ensures the highest standards of safety, care and education for the children at our forest school settings. This is higher than the required ratio, which is 1:5 for two-year-olds and 1:13 for children aged three and over.
My child has special educational needs and/or a disability. Can you support them?

We operate a comprehensive SEND policy as well as an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy. Our founder and nursery manager is a qualified and experienced SENDCo. We will work collaboratively with parents and other professionals to put individual play plans in place to ensure your child's needs are met.
What about toileting and nappies?

We are very lucky to have a composting toilet cubicle at both our settings. This works just like a normal toilet but without the flush. Composting loos are environmentally friendly, clean and easy to use. We provide running water and soap for hand washing after toileting. For children in nappies, we have a nappy changing area. Please provide us with enough nappies, wipes and nappy bags to last the session. We take all of the nappies away with us and dispose of them appropriately. We ask that you provide nappies and not pull-ups as these are much easier for changing children wearing lots of layers.
Is there an age limit?

Children need to have had their second birthday before they can join us in the forest. If your child is starting in the winter, we may advise they are at least 2 1/2 years old before joining us.
How do I sign up?

You can join our waiting list here.
Why don't you separate the children by age group?

We believe that offering two to five year olds the opportunity to play together rather than separating them into different age groups and ‘rooms’ offers the best opportunities for all age ranges.
How does your waiting list work?

Our waiting lists operate on a first-come, first-served basis with places allocated depending on the days requested and available. We need to ensure that we have the correct number of two, three and four-year-olds so that we can plan our days effectively. Due to EYFS ratios we take a certain number of each age group. It costs £10 to join our waiting list. You can join our waiting list here.
Can I visit?

Before joining The Little Firefly, we would encourage you to come and visit us. Please contact us to arrange popping by for a tour and possibly a hot chocolate!
What do you do when it rains and is cold?

As long as the children are dressed appropriately to be outdoors (see our recommended kit list), then we stay outdoors. We won't let the cold stop us from running around and playing! At Upton we have a lovely tipi with a log burning fire, as well as a polytunnel that provides shelter. At Kingston Blount, we have our cosy log cabin, plus our sheltered fire circle. At both sites we also have large, lightweight tarps that can provide additional shelter from any heavy rain or biting winds. We will often have a fire burning outside too. Don't forget, nurseries in Scandinavia will allow children to play outdoors until it hits -10 degrees!
How is the wellbeing of my child safeguarded?

Safeguarding is our first priority in everything we do. Our staff All staff members are required to have a valid and up-to-date DBS (police check). We train our staff in safeguarding, first aid and more. Our environment We operate on private land, that the public does not have access to, with a gate between the site and the road. To ensure safety, our staff work upon a strict ratio of one teacher to four children (as opposed to the standard nursery ratios of 1:8). When venturing outside of the forest school site, children will be provided with a high visibility vest to wear at all times. Reporting safeguarding concerns Any safeguarding concerns are taken extremely seriously and must be reported to one of our designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) in the first instance. You can contact our lead DSL, Georgie Adams, here. We have a comprehensive set of policies and procedures for our forest school, which you can find here.
What will my child eat?

We provide a nutritious morning snack, usually fruit and rice/oat cakes. We ask parents to provide a packed lunch - we recommend a thermos flask of food in the colder months and sending lunch with a cool pack in the warmer months. We provide tea, this could either be cold or a cooked tea on our fire!
Can my child nap with you?

For the little ones that would like a nap during the day, we have a sheltered hammock area and four-season sleeping bags at both settings. Children napping in hammocks go off to sleep very easily and sleeping outdoors is proven to be beneficial for our children as well as giving a deeper level of sleep.
For drop off and pick up, is there parking available?

We are lucky enough to have a parking area at both settings. We want to ensure that our neighbours aren't caused too much inconvenience, so it's important for parents to be considerate, drive safely and follow the speed limits (especially at Kingston Blount as you will be driving through a working farm). Where possible, please try to walk, cycle or lift-share with other parents. This will reduce traffic and our carbon footprint.
What happens if there is an accident?

All of our outdoor nursery educators are paediatric first aid trained. In case of a serious accident, the first aider will attend to your child whilst another member of staff will call the emergency services and the parents. Alternatively, for less serious situations, we will treat your child with first aid and call you to check you are happy for them to stay for the rest of the day or be collected early. You will receive an accident/injury report form. Please be reassured that we have a comprehensive set of risk assessments in place for our forest school’s activities and our practitioners are always dynamically risk assessing the environment and your child’s capabilities and limits. View our risk assessment policy View our emergency evacuation plan