This statement intends to highlight the different ways in which Out There makes a difference to the lives of children, families, community organisations and the wider community.

An intro to Out There

Out There started with the intention of increasing the amount of time children spend outdoors. It has been driven by a strong belief that being physically active, giving children a sense of freedom and wonder and allowing them to take calculated risks form an incredibly important part of childhood and are essential if we want children to be happy, confident, resilient human beings.

Mission Statement

As an organisation, we hold dear to the values which we set out in 2017 and which underpin our practice. You can find out more about our core values here.

More recently, we developed a mission statement which captures our desire to be an inclusive setting which values the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion.

“We encourage children to confidently connect to nature by fostering a reflective and inclusive community.”

What we do

Ultimately, Out There is a service provider offering high quality early years education and care for 2-5 year olds to local communities in Bristol. We strive to bring about the most valuable experiences for the children in our care facilitated by Forest School Leaders, teachers and early years practitioners who are passionate about early years education.

We chose the name kindergarten over preschool because it more closely matches our values. The analogy of a 'children’s garden' roots us in the natural world and recognises the importance of nature in children's play and learning.

We currently operate from two scout huts using nearby green space and woodlands to offer children almost daily off site trips and the forest school experience. We currently provide for around 80 families in total, not including our holiday club which caters for around 200 families over the course of a year.

We specifically want to work with like minded organisations who work for the benefit of others to bring about social or environmental change and have a positive impact on the people and communities they work with.

Benefits to the children

The benefits of children spending time outside in nature, being physically active and using natural, open ended resources in their play and learning has been well recorded. It includes increased confidence, independence, resilience and cognitive ability.

Time spent outdoors is increasingly seen to boost children's wellbeing and we prioritise the emotional wellbeing of the child above all else.

Being physically active and challenged is also a very important benefit to the children as they are able to use their bodies in ways that promote physical health and understand how to tackle risks.

Facilitating plenty of opportunities for free play also enriches children’s social skills and imagination.

Above all else the children make friends, have secure relationships with the adults and ultimately have fun.

https://www.pentagonplay.co.uk/news-and-info/outdoor-play-improves-mental-health

I love Forest School because we get to play outside all day with our friends.

Benefits to the families

We are very blessed to have such warm and supportive parents who really value the work we do.
They recognise that Out There offers something different and special and they are happy knowing that their children spend most of the day outside.
They also feel valued and listened to by the adults who work at Out There which is supported by our open door policy.
On a practical level, parents appreciate the wrap around care provided when being open from 8am to 17.30. They are able to use the government funded hours with us which subsidises a place at Out There. We offer an unlimited number of free places meaning that everyone can access our provision regardless of their income.
During lockdown, we were able to stay open for key workers meaning that their was no disruption to key workers childcare arrangements.
As a result of both good fortune and hard work, we have remained open throughout the duration of Covid with zero cases recorded so far amongst children or staff. This has been a huge relief for families, benefited the children enormously and ensured the people who work at Out There have remained in work in an environment that is 'covid secure’.
We work closely with families to ensure they have access to any other services which they or their child might benefit from. This includes working with the family support teams at the local children's centres and signposting local support groups.
We also run see and play sessions, family days on Saturdays and organise other family events throughout the year. This fosters a great sense of community and connection.
Aside from the Kindergarten, we run holiday clubs throughout the school holidays for 4 - 11 year olds meaning that the benefits of forest school reach the wider community and not just preschool age children.
“My son absolutely loves coming to Out There Kindergarten & has quickly settled since starting after Easter. The staffs passion for child-centred, outdoor learning is evident in everything they do. Their sense of adventure, nurturing relationships & woodland setting mean the kindergarten offers an outstanding early years environment. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. My son wakes up every morning asking if it’s forest school today!!”

Developing Community

We recognise the importance of children understanding their place in the community and developing a sense of belonging. It is important to us that the children get to know their locality; the people and places within it.

Things we have done to develop this sense of community include;

Worked a community allotment
Taken regular visits to the local library
Regularly visited a care home for the elderly
Had visitors in from the local community to share their experiences
Organised litter picks with the children

Having a regular group of children attend specific sites each week, is also a great way of making connections with other users. For example, we regularly see other group users .

Another positive of being a regular presence in the community, is that (in the past) we have helped deterr anti-social behaviour which might otherwise exist. For example, we have successfully engaged with groups of young people to

Environment and sustainability

By teaching a nature based curriculum, we aim to help foster a connection with the natural world and our curriculum has a strong focus on environmental sustainability. We teach children about the human impact on the environment through age appropriate conversations about dropping litter, plastic waste and food production for example.

Nature conservation is an important part of our work and as Forest School Leaders we are taught about the principles and practice of conservation and woodland management. This includes not over using an area and rotating sites allowing time for regeneration. We also communicate with the council in regards to fallen branches and trees.

As regular uses of public green spaces, we are committed to ensuring they are free of litter and litter pick on a daily basis, removing any small items such as glass. Any items they are unable to remove, such as larger items that have been dumped, are reported to the council.

We have a strong commitment to climate change and recognise that there is a climate emergency.

Donations made and monies paid to charities and community organisations

We help to generate additional income for an organisation in the form of rent monies. We are open for 44 weeks of the year, 4 days of the week and so this can amount to a substantial income. In the 5 years of operating from one scout hut, we have generated around £25,000.

On top of this we also help manage the building and garden area as we employ a caretaker who usually works long side the existing caretaker. This helps save time and money on building and garden maintenance as we work in collaboration.

We also make regular donations to other charitable organizations aligned with our ethos. These include;

Local Food Banks

Grow Wilder

Caring in Bristol

Job creation

We currently employ around 12 full time staff and 6 part time staff . From September 2021, we will be a real living wage employer and will seek the Living Wage accreditation. https://www.livingwage.org.uk/

We have a commitment to professional development and this year we will employ our first apprentice. We will also be working closely with the Best Practice Network to help people gain qualification in the early years. We have a commitment to people’s wellbeing and career progression. We offer flexible working opportunities and provide lots of opportunities for further training.

Social Impact Statement