Term dates for 2026 to 2027
The full calendar for term-time places, plus the two weeks we close and the five days we do not.
Blog & articles
Mud is part of the curriculum
Why the garden runs in the rain, what we keep in the waterproofs shed, and the one kind of weather that keeps us in.
Every room goes outside twice a day. Not if the weather allows — twice a day. The only things that keep us in are thunder, ice on the paths and winds strong enough to bring branches down off the oak.
What is out there
Four raised beds the children plant in March and eat from in July, a willow tunnel that needs weaving back into shape every spring, a mud kitchen with real pans, and a climbing frame with a rope face that looks alarming and is not.
What we keep, so you do not have to buy it
Waterproof suits and wellingtons in every size from 4 to 11, sun hats, and a tumble dryer that runs most of the winter. Send a spare set of clothes on Monday and we will handle the rest.
Why it matters more than it sounds
Children who are outside for two hours a day sleep better, eat better and fall out with each other less. They also learn things a room cannot teach: that worms are heavier than they look, that a wheelbarrow tips at exactly the wrong moment, and that a bed of carrots takes four months and is worth it.
Fridays, Oaks walk to the copse at the end of Hartfield Road for forest school. They come back filthy. That is the review.
News
More from the noticeboard
Term dates, open mornings, menu changes and the occasional note about nits.
What actually happens in a settling week
Four sessions, one key person and a lot of standing quietly by the door. How we start children who have never been left before.
The kitchen, the four-week menu and the allergy folder
We cook on site for 46 children, 11 of whom cannot eat something. Here is how that works.
Funded hours, without the jargon
Fifteen hours, thirty hours, stretched or term time, and what the consumables charge actually pays for.
September places, and how the waiting list really works
Who gets offered first, how long the wait usually is, and why we will tell you to try elsewhere if we cannot help.