A preschool with a difference
The genesis of Venture began nine years ago when two mums came to the rescue of a local preschool on the brink of closure. Inspired by the Scandinavian approach to education and a shared passion for the benefits of autonomous outdoor learning, Jenny and Zoe established the South Hams' first fully outdoor kindergarten in 2018. With an unparalleled reception from the children and their parents, Venture Outdoor Kindergarten is set to launch it's third site later this year.
Our Ethos
Each child at Venture is respected, nurtured and celebrated as an individual.
We are led by the children's innate curiosity and unique ideas, and they in turn, are guided with kindness and compassion by the calm, intuitive and highly skilled adults that work alongside them.
Social and emotional well-being for the children, their families and the adults working at Venture is at the forefront of our practice. We achieve this through the creation of deep connections to one another and our outdoor surroundings.
We promote independence and interdependence, from which physical and emotional resilience develops. Our core ethos is centred in Julian B. Rotter’s theory of “Locus of Control” which discusses an individual’s belief system around personal responsibility and the power to shape their own life. Developing an internal locus with children can influence a child’s concept of ability; they develop an active understanding of the connection between trying and practicing and subsequently achieving a successful outcome.
This leads to the belief that it’s the trying, not the ability you were born with that leads to success. We empower our children to find a sense of agency, whilst most importantly having the freedom to really play, and enjoy childhood.
To read more about the Locus of Control click here or to find your nearest site, see below.
"The quality of education is exemplary"
– Ofsted Report, 2022