Forest School
The philosophy of Forest School is to encourage and inspire young people through participation in enjoyable, motivating, achievable tasks and activities in a woodland or natural environment. Forest School develops children’s respect for one another, themselves, the natural world and their local community, and enhances their knowledge of nature and the environment.
Forest School sessions are held in a small area of woodland near the school playground. The Forest School provides a natural and fun environment for pupils in which they can develop their social skills, physical ability, self-esteem, independence, confidence, communication skills and also their curiosity, to help them learn, explore, appreciate risks and respect boundaries. We use the woodland for all sorts of outdoor and environmental activities, often linking what the children are learning in the classroom to real hands-on experiences outside.
Forest School can be particularly effective for children who do not do especially well in the classroom environment and, for many of our pupils, simply being able to explore a different environment and get their hands dirty is a special and important new experience.
At present, Key Stages 1 and 2 have regular Forest School sessions, whereas Early Years, Key Stage 3 and 4 often access Forest School for outdoor learning activities.
We are always looking for ways to develop our Forest School, so if you have any unwanted plants or unused materials you may wish to donate, please get in touch with the School. Also, if you have any questions or suggestions about anything Forest School related, please do get in touch.
