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Forest School

Our Vision

We believe that every child should experience the wonders of nature, so we are committed to providing our pupils with the opportunity to visit our Little Wood to explore, play, learn about and fall in love with the great outdoors.

Through hands-on learning and imaginative play we hope our pupils will recognise the mental and physical health benefits of connecting with nature and will want to conserve and protect our natural world for future generations.

Our Little Wood

Forest School sets children free to follow their natural curiosity in the great outdoors.  Our beautiful Little Wood, set in the grounds of our school, provides a fantastic environment for our children to engage in the wonders of nature and the natural world. We provide Forest School sessions for all our children from Reception to Year 4.
 
The Forest School philosophy is to encourage and inspire positive outdoor experiences. Children have the opportunity to learn about the natural environment, how to evaluate and manage risks and most importantly to use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others.
 
In regular sessions, all year round, they learn through play and exploration; teamwork and risk-taking; looking and listening, to immerse themselves in outdoor learning and benefit from the positive effects on wellbeing, that being in nature offers!
 

What Happens at Forest School?

 

At Forest School, your children are free to choose from a range of activities including den-building, lighting fires, exploring the environment, using tools and making art. Whatever they choose to do, they develop their social skills, resilience and perseverance and have FUN outdoors. These are just some of the activities they might explore:

 

  • How to assess risks posed by different activities and environments

  • Identifying native flora and fauna

  • Pond dipping

  • Wood cutting and whittling

  • Lighting fires and fire safety

  • Nature-inspired art

  • Wild Play (child-led imaginative play)

  • Imaginative play in the mud kitchen

  • Helping out in the school garden

  • Tasting and cooking produce from our school garden.

 

Through these activities, children will also develop important life-skills, such as teamwork, turn-taking, environmental awareness, building resilience, problem solving, emotional intelligence and the courage and confidence to enjoy an outdoor setting!