Our Forest School 

Our school vision is ‘growing together in faith, knowledge and love.’ Forest School offers the children the opportunity to connect with God’s world, children experience the sense of awe and wonder of the natural world, spanning the seasons. They learn to build on their knowledge not only of flora and fauna that inhabit our local area, but how to care for these developing an understanding of our responsibility in caring for our natural world. Forest school is a nurturing environment which promotes social and communication skills while supporting children to become resilient and determined learners. We ensure that community and a sense of belonging underpins our sessions and children are encouraged to work together, celebrating each other’s individual and collective successes.

All classes participate in Forest Schools and outdoor learning activities. Each week EYFS will spend an afternoon session at our Forest School on their Muddy Walk. The rest of the school then have blocks of time, outlined in our PE curriculum, to build on previously taught skills. All teachers are encouraged to use the outdoor areas as much as possible to enhance the curriculum and key knowledge and skills are outlined in our curriculum mapping and progression of skills.

Forest School takes place whatever the weather, with the exception of high winds and storms, therefore suitable clothing is insisted on. The sessions are planned to involve a mixture of both adult led and child initiated activities. Adult led tasks may involve the teaching Forest School skills such as fire lighting, plant identification or whittling, or indeed the teaching of any area of the school curriculum which is enhanced by being in an outdoor learning environment such as environmental science and geography field studies. Child led activities often support personal, social and emotional development and offer opportunity for developing understanding of and application of prior teaching, growth in resilience and physical development.

Time spent in the outdoor environment encourages confidence and resilience, children are be able to assess and manage their own risks, take steps to maintain safety and experience the feelings of reward and success. Our children develop resilience to push through difficulties and learn that though we might not get our desired result the first time it can be a spring board for learning; challenges can be pushed through for success. It encourages problem solving, logical thinking, self-reflection and evaluation but most of all the pupils learn that mistakes aren’t failures; they are a part of learning and that they are, ultimately, human. It also helps children to develop into advocates for environmental issues. Children are actively encouraged to take care of the environment, and play a key role in maintaining the site, to keep it safe for themselves and the wildlife that inhabits it. They are enthused and awed by nature and the changing seasons which deepens their knowledge of the environment, the flora and fauna and their responsibilities towards it.

Mrs S Anderson – Forest School Assistant