Opening near Bude, Cornwall, in September 2026
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Testimonials
Mike and Charissa have been our childminders since 2014, when our first son Cameron started when he was 1. Cameron continued in their care until he started school in 2018, bypassing preschool, as we felt the experiences he was having with Mike and Charissa were far more beneficial than sitting in a preschool classroom all day (plenty of time for that!). The care that he received from Mike and Charissa was wonderful…he spent most of his days outside, rain or shine, exploring the environment, climbing trees, planting vegetables on the allotment, amongst lots of other things.
The setting is warm and friendly, and very child led. The forest school focus no doubt benefitted our elder son tremendously…he is confident, energetic and was very ready for school when it came. He has also established himself as a clear ‘leader’ amongst his peers, something that I’m sure developed whilst with Mike and Charissa. The children are encouraged to explore the outside world and have fun! There is no judgement or pushiness, and they encourage the children to reach milestones, such as potty training, at their own pace. They are also so supportive when it comes to facing parenting challenges…they have put my mind at rest on many occasions, assuring me that most toddler behaviour is indeed normal!
Mike and Charissa have become like surrogate parents for both our children (our younger son Malcolm started in 2017, and is also thriving). We really couldn’t have found a better start for them…it will be a very sad day when Malcolm starts school in two years time!
Since joining the Greenback Forest School, we have seen Oona develop her self-confidence and obtain a range of skills and interests. Oona settled quickly into the setting which is friendly and calm and has built close relationships with other children as well as Mike and Charissa.
She has gained a range of active and practical skills, that have built her confidence in her own abilities. Oona regularly comes home with new ideas and techniques, that she’s learnt; like a neat way of putting on her coat (at age 2) through to building a pretend fire using building blocks - immitating what she has learned at the allotment.
One of the most impressive influences of the setting has been Oona’s fascination in the natural world - since joining Greenbank Forest School she has taken an active interest in identifying and naming things in the garden and passionate about foraging when we are on long walk and taking home leaves, pine cones and other treasures.
At home, we’ve seen an increased willingness and interest in helping or participating in domestic activities, to take part and take on responsibilities - such as getting involved in cooking, helping to make lunch or setting the table.
She has brought home activities from forest school that have in turn helped us with encouraging her to be involved in our activities and to do things for herself e.g. the tidy-up time song.
Oona has gained a great deal of self-belief in her own capabilities; always insisting on doing things herself e.g. taking on a physically or intellectually challenging task - such as climbing up a difficult climbing frame or doing jigsaw puzzles.
As parents we couldn’t be happier that our daughter (and soon our son) is being looked after by Mike and Charissa in a forest school setting - it’s everything we want for our children. They offer them experiences that we couldn’t offer them ourselves - like growing things on the allotment, foraging food and then cooking it on a fire they’ve built themselves - and the everything is integrated into their way of life.
It’s really inspiring and it’s made us better parents.
Both our girls (Sylvia, 4 and Freya, 15 months) go to Greenbank Forest School Childminding. We are so grateful for the relationships and experiences they gain from their time with Charissa and Mike.
Sylvia joined Greenbank Forest School Childminding as a 14 month old baby. I had to move her from her first childminder, as my job changed and we needed childcare closer to home. Charissa and Mike immediately identified ways to support Sylvia settle in. She was quite a shy baby and took a while to get used to new people. Although she was only there one day a week, they created a homely and comforting arrival for her, settling her with a story and inviting her to join them for family breakfast. As she grew bigger and stronger her confidence leaped in bounds. The physical challenge of the allotment meant Sylvia could explore a new environment and she quickly developed physicality to grow big enough to use the swing and climb the treehouse!
Beyond the physical benefits of the allotment, Sylvia has learned so much from being outdoors in nature. Her knowledge of plants, seasons, food origins and her respect for nature has blown me away. I’ve been amazed when she’s told me about the danger of eating mushrooms or “bird berries” and always so proud when she’s enjoyed throwing herself around in muddy puddles. The interest Sylvia has developed in gardening has encouraged us to all enjoy gardening as a family.
The girls benefit from the smaller setting and enjoy the cooking, arts and crafts activities. Charissa and Mike also plan their learning activities so the girls can learn all about different cultural festivals like Diwali and Chinese New Year. We have always really enjoyed the pictures that come back at the end of the day via Baby’s Days and my favourite ever picture has to be of all the children after they painted themselves for Holi!
Throughout their time at Charissa and Mike’s Sylvia and Freya have been given every opportunity to grow and be themselves and appreciate others. Sylvia has benefitted from the smaller group setting than a nursery school, and developed deep relationships with her peers. Both girls’ resilience, attachment, creativity, appreciation of nature, understanding of relationships are just a handful of virtues our girls have developed from their time at Forest School.
Our daughter Iona has been at Greenbank Forest school full time for one academic year and we couldn’t be happier with the setting. Iona has been very happy at forest school from the beginning. She started at just 10 months old and has a secure and healthy attachment to Mike and Charissa as well as their children Luuk and Lotte. She is always happy to go to forest school and talks about the people while at home. Iona benefits in so many ways from the forest school setting – we have seen her grow into a very confident and independent toddler. For example, Iona has been able to put her own shoes on from 18 months old! As the first of my three children to have attended a forest school setting I see how much she benefits from it – she trusts her own judgement and is keen to try new things – whether it is food, a new activity or socialising with new people.
She is physically very confident – running, climbing, jumping but is able to listen and understand if she is asked to wait or stop, for example for roads or cars. Iona loves music, singing and dancing – she has come home singing songs from her weekly singing and music sessions with Arran.
At forest school Iona gets so many opportunities for new experiences – she has developed a real love for animals especially chickens and ducks – we are sure this is because of the chickens at forest school and the many trips to slimbridge wetland centre, the zoo and the wild place. Mike and Charissa provide a warm, calm and caring setting for Iona – we have really seen her thrive in their care.