The Little Firefly Forest School and Outdoor Nursery

The Little Firefly Forest School and OutdoorNursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2749370
Address: Kingston Blount Farm, 1 Stert Road, Kingston Blount, Chinnor, OX39 4SA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 21/08/2023
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Adams, Georgina
Inspection report: 15 January 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Expected standard
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.
Achievement Expected standard
Children typically make progress from their starting points. When children are learning at
different rates, adaptations to teaching are quickly implemented to ensure that all children
make sustained progress. For example, the enhanced ratio of adults to children allows an
emphasis to be placed on intensively supporting children's personal, social and emotional
development when gaps are emerging in their learning. As a result, all children make
progress and develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills.
All children make progress as confident communicators who enjoy plenty of opportunities to
chat with adults and their peers. Children progress from answering simple questions to
those that encourage problem-solving, such as what can they do to fit a large card into a
smaller envelope. Children become competent in explaining the solution. These skills are
recognised by the schools that children move on to.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff build positive relationships with all children. This allows children to become inquisitive
problem-solvers, who concentrate and focus for an extended time on activities they choose.
Children play games together, build their confidence through friendships and enjoy exploring
together.
Staff are focused on teaching children the importance of kindness care and respect for each
other. They encourage children to listen to others when they are talking and suggest they
share toys with their friends. However, when children leave equipment on the floor, staff do
not consistently encourage children to tidy away and model respect for their things. As a
result, some children do not learn to take responsibility for tidying up after themselves.

Staff apply their growing knowledge of how to support children to begin to regulate their
behaviour effectively. Staff are sensitive to each child's stage of development alongside
spotting the signs of stronger emotions, such as frustration or anger. They use a structured
approach to support children to recognise these feelings, and provide reassurance, empathy
and work on solutions together. This is having a sustained impact as children learn to
resolve conflict by asking others for 'more space' or moving themselves away to a quieter
location. Staff are skilled at de-escalating any occurrences of such behaviour. This enables
children to continue their learning and control impulses without delay.
Leaders work collaboratively with families to encourage children's attendance and
punctuality, which they monitor methodically. Staff know children and their families well and
are mindful of reasons for any absence.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff prioritise children's wellbeing. Children and staff develop relationships that are
respectful, warm and nurturing. This results in a trusting environment. Children develop
confidence because staff value their voices and understand their emerging needs.
Children are increasingly independent in managing their care needs. For example, they
become adept in removing their waterproof all-in-ones to go to the toilet. Staff are attentive
to all children's individual needs, encouraging them to try to do it themselves but willing to
offer more help as needed.
Staff understand safe sleep practices to ensure that they keep children safe, including
regularly checking on children who are sleeping. Leaders are passionate for children to
develop appropriate and positive attitudes to risks. Staff teach children how to manage risks
and then trust them to do so. For example, children understand not to splash in the stream
as it is too cold or not to climb on softer wood. Staff remind children that these are not strong
enough to stand on. Children climb lower and understand they do not want to 'fall and hurt
themselves'.
Leaders provide nutritious and healthy snacks. They build supportive relationships with
families. Staff offer guidance and advice around healthy food choices, while remaining
respectful of individual choices. Staff are vigilant and offer timely reminders to parents and
carers of how to prepare fruit safely. They face children as they eat to ensure any risks of
choking are minimised. Children understand the importance of finishing the food in their
mouths before they play. They open their mouths wide to show staff they are safe.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Children benefit from the long-term curriculum, which builds on their learning in all areas.
Staff monitor children's progress and this informs planning. Children lead on their learning
and staff adapt teaching to build on this. Staff introduce vocabulary in context. For example,
they explore the meaning of 'opaque' as children fish for potatoes in a deep muddy puddle
when they notice they are unable to see through the water to find them. Back-and-forth
conversations between staff, children and their friends are plentiful. Staff help children to
listen to others, take turns in conversation and to express their ideas. Staff model language
to help children to express their needs and as a result, children are confident to do so.

Children practise counting skills. They are reminded to check when they have missed one.
Children repeat the process and add 'one more to make five'. Opportunities for physical
development weave through the day. Children develop strength and highly positive attitudes
to exercise. They enjoy daily walks, running across fields and leaping over streams.
Children scramble quickly to the highest point of a log pile, mastering balance and
coordination skills.
Leaders have a vision for staff to act as positive role models and demonstrate desired
behaviours for the children to follow. For example, they want children to show care for the
learning environment, respect the resources accessible and use good manners. However,
this modelling is not yet consistent among all staff. This means that, on occasion, children
miss out on this important learning opportunity in preparation for the next steps in their
education.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff are committed to creating an inclusive environment. They provide
flexibility to enable equal access to all children, including the needs of those with special
educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to their learning
and/or wellbeing.
All staff have a thorough understanding of children's development. They use regular
observations and discussions with the special educational needs and/or disabilities
coordinators to raise emerging concerns. Leaders typically prioritise additional targeted time
for children with staff to reduce any barriers to their progress. Leaders use the additional
funding they receive to achieve this.
Regular communication between staff and parents and carers create a collaborative
approach. This ensures that, when any difficulties in children's learning and development
are identified, ideas are shared ideas with parents to support at home. For example, staff
share personalised stories that support children through times of change. This ensures that
children sustain progress and are ready for the next stages in their education.
Leaders accurately prioritise staff training to ensure an inclusive approach throughout the
setting. Over time, this has focused on developing children's emotional wellbeing. The
approach the setting implements to support children through compassionate conversations
is having a noticeable impact on children's progress in this area.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have an accurate understanding of the distinctive experience their setting offers
children and families, including those who may have additional barriers to learning. This
results in a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development.
Leaders invest in their staff's wellbeing, such as by providing daily reflection time. Staff use
this time to consider their observations of key children and plan for next steps in learning.
Leaders also encourage staff to complete their own professional learning to further improve
outcomes for children. Leaders assess this commitment necessary to maintain a dedicated
team.

Leaders are committed to providing a sharply focused programme of professional learning.
This is ambitious and focused on the areas of learning that are pertinent to the children in
the nursery. For example, the clear focus on supporting children's behaviour is making a
positive impact. Leaders create an ethos of continual collaborative improvement, asking
staff for ideas and solutions. They take these into account and act on them.
Systems are in place for the supervision of staff, including staff who are responsible for
safeguarding. Occasionally, supervisions are not always sharply focused. For example,
when staff do not consistently model expectations for desired manners and care for the
equipment, this is not identified.
Leaders have implemented plans to strengthen links with schools and settings. This work is
progressing effectively. When strategies are shared collaboratively, the impact of this
partnership working on children's achievements is evident. However, this approach is not yet
consistent for all children. This does not consistently prepare children to transition effectively
between different stages in their education, including school.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are immersed in the natural world because of the outdoor nature of the setting.
This context allows staff to plan experiences that provide children with learning through real-
life opportunities. Leaders and staff create an unique outdoor learning environment that
supports children to develop independence, perseverance and resilience. Children are
happy, motivated and enthusiastic to join in a wide range of experiences within the
countryside. Leaders build positive relationships with parents and carers, who value the
advice and support given to them about their children's development and next steps.
Staff encourage children to make decisions about their learning. A morning meeting enables
each child to contribute and collaboratively create the daily plan of activities and
experiences they want to participate. Staff facilitate children's choices, such as going for a
walk, jumping across a stream or making 'Get Well Soon' cards for Dolly, the farmer's
donkey. All children are increasingly becoming independent, confident, curious and resilient
learners. Staff encourage children's belief in their own capability to handle tasks and achieve
goals. For example, when climbing to the top of the wood pile, children assess and talk
about the risks of the wood being too slippery or soft. They understand not to stand on it as
they could slip. Children concentrate on activities for sustained periods of time.
The key-person system enables children to feel valued, safe and secure. Children have
secure attachments with staff, who are attuned to their interests and developmental needs.

Inspector:
Joanna Hobbs
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2749370
Address:
Kingston Blount Farm
1 Stert Road
Staff support children to talk about their emotions, showing compassion and understanding
when these emotions become overwhelming. Children are beginning to have a sense of
their actions on others. Staff apply their knowledge of each child to quickly react to their
changing needs. Children trust that staff listen to them and this creates security.
Children take turns in conversations with staff and friends. They develop clear language to
express their needs and preferences. Children initially ask their friends for help when
needed, for example opening a stiff water bottle or a tricky packet. This is with security of
knowing an adult is always close for support.
Next steps
Leaders and staff should continue to embed their plans to strengthen links with other
settings, including schools, to ensure that all children are very well prepared for the next
stages in their education.
Staff should model and encourage children more consistently to demonstrate care for the
equipment and toys available to them in the nursery and develop good manners to
maximise their attitudes to positive behaviour.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs and/or disabilities
coordinator and parents and carers during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.
A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

Kingston Blount
Chinnor
OX39 4SA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 21/08/2023
Registered person: Adams, Georgina
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 16:30
Local authority: Oxfordshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 15 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
2 to 5
Total number of places
12
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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