Willow Den at The Falkirk Wheel, the area’s only fully outdoor nursery has received high praise in its first inspection from the Care Inspectorate.
The nursery, nestled in the birchwoods near the iconic Falkirk Wheel, received a majority of fives ‘very good’s’ across sections including learning, setting and praise for the staff team.
The report commented that “children benefitted from opportunities to investigate and explore the world around them, at their own pace and without interruption. Due to an abundance of open-ended, natural resources, children had limitless opportunities to develop their imagination, curiosity and creative thinking skills, resulting in children being empowered to lead their own play and learning.”
Karen Dickson, Nursery Manager at Willow Den at The Falkirk Wheel said, “We’re delighted with this high praise from our first Care Inspectorate inspection.
“Our team are dedicated to delivering high-quality early learning and know from experience that nature is the best classroom. We offer child led practice where little ones thrive, developing their creativity, social skills and gross and fine motor skills all while nurturing a love for the environment from a young age.
“We want more children around the Falkirk area and beyond to experience the great outdoors and be fully emersed in nature to give them the best start.”
Willow Den was founded by Inspiring Scotland to accelerate outdoor nursery provision in Scotland and further the charity’s work developing outdoor play and learning.
Celia Tennant, Chief Executive Officer at Inspiring Scotland said, “We started Willow Den as a not-for-profit with a vision for more children from different communities to experience outdoors as it is fundamentally beneficial for their development, health and wellbeing.
“Inspiring Scotland has over 15 years’ experience in the play and outdoor learning sector and we’ve applied all of our learning to create an innovative and high-quality early years option for children and parents alike.
“We are so proud of the results from the Care Inspectorate report. It is a testament to our team’s hard work and showcases that outdoor play is the foundation for a happy, healthy life.”
Full and split placements are available at Willow Den at The Falkirk Wheel. Enquire via admin@willowden.scot
