Welcome to our Forest School
A forest school is an innovative educational
approach to outdoor play and learning.
‘It is essential for our children to have quality time amongst Nature for their mental, physical and spiritual development, they are internally wired up to learn and play with their environment’ (Holland, 2009).
The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences. Forest School, apart from being out in the open, is based on a concept developed in Scandinavia. By participating in engaging, motivating and achievable ‘hands on’ tasks which are open ended, ensuring each participant has an opportunity to develop intrinsic motivation, sound emotional and social skills.
What happens at Forest School?
The Pre School children will take part in a programme of Forest School sessions which run weekly. Sessions are themed led, but extremely flexible to accommodate children’s desires and child led learning. For this to work well there needs to be a higher adult: child ratio so that the Qualified Forest School practitioners can support and extend the children's learning. This ensures a nurturing, tranquil environment, where children can develop and reach personal potential and learn at their own pace to develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Weekly Sessions
Since 2013 we have run a programme of outdoor learning for children aged 2-4 years. We use our local woodland throughout the year. We go into the woods in all weathers, making sure that children are suitably dressed and that the conditions are safe. All activities are thoroughly risk assessed by highly qualified practitioner's. Staff encourage children to risk assess and take challenges within the woods. We find that forest school gives children an understanding about their natural environment, how to use their own initiative, to problem solve and work together with their friends in tasks.
What is Forest School?
