Nestled in the Warwickshire countryside is a hatchery, ducklings, and a duck room - not birds, but designated rooms for children aged six weeks to five years in converted barns at Winchcombe Farm Day Nursery. Now this private setting, near Stratford-on-Avon, has an exciting new space - an enormous treehouse.
Inquisitive ducks take the path from the main nursery building, overlooking a duck pond, to a forest area. There, suspended in five sycamore and ash trees and measuring six metres at its highest point, is the new outdoor classroom. Access is via ten wooden steps or a ramp for buggies or those with limited mobility.
While the outside is impressive by its size, with pitched cedar shingle roof and huge covered balcony, this substantial building, covering a massive 140 square metres, has even more surprises inside.
The Ofsted-approved classroom for ten children comes with under-floor heating, toilet facilities and a fully-fitted kitchen, equipped with a full-size cooker, fridge and dishwasher, and a tree trunk growing through the centre of it!
Inside and out, everything is made of natural materials. There is a beautiful wooden floor, which matches the newly extended wing of the main nursery.
The treehouse was the idea of nursery owner and architect Steve Taylor, who designed and built the structure at a cost of £80,000.
Planning permission for what is believed to be Britain's first treehouse classroom was obtained after tree surgeon reports. Construction, which took four months, was supervised closely by the building inspector.
To meet the stringent fire regulations, the treehouse is fitted with heat detectors, both inside and underneath the building, as well as fire alarms and smoke detectors. The floor also must withstand a one-hour burning time, and there is even a specially constructed path along the nursery perimeter so firefighters could gain access quickly if necessary.
Catherine Foxall, formerly nursery manager and now business development manager, admits to feeling unsure about the treehouse at first.
She says, 'All I was able to imagine were the children climbing a little stepladder to get up to a treehouse similar to the ones you would find in your garden, and thinking about the possible accidents.
'Once I spoke to Steve in more detail and saw drawings of the finished product, my thoughts and worries were quickly replaced with excitement and a sense of pride.'
She subsequently undertook the risk assessment and consulted with Ofsted inspectors, who made two visits to satisfy themselves about the suitability of the provision.
During construction, plans were pinned on trees. The children visited the site regularly, talked about the progress, and role-played what they had seen.
Now Ms Foxall says of the house and its surroundings, 'It is a wonderful resource for storytelling, investigating bugs, photographs, basket collections, and using natural materials.'
FOREST SCHOOL
As the plans came to fruition, staff member Sam Hitchman began training to become a forest school leader. Now completing the course, Sam is raring to go and use the total wooded area. All the staff have been trained in forest school awareness.
From the treehouse balcony children can spy a treasure island, with pirate ship, a wooden look-out, the Jolly Roger flag flying at full mast and a plank, for anyone daring enough to walk it. The plank is placed along a grassy slope with a slight wobble to challenge the children's ability to balance.
Past the treehouse is a dipping pond and a fallen trunk that has been crafted into a living willow bridge, creating a true forest scene.
The next stage will be to build a fire ring from logs. Initially, children will be taught how to circumnavigate the ring safely. Once that becomes routine, they will learn how to light a fire in the centre.
So far, in the treehouse's early days, the children have built stick dens and made bows and arrows. They will soon have regular use of the house in the wood, and it is hoped others will be able to enjoy it too. The nursery is considering plans to offer a holiday club, visits from other settings, birthday parties, storytelling and training sessions.
Not surprisingly, nursery children come from a radius of 40 miles to enjoy the experiences that this farm setting has to offer. Steve Taylor says that he 'wants children who attend this nursery to have treasured memories about their first excursion into the world beyond their home, and I am convinced they will remember this place for the rest of their lives'.