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 determine
Implementation
All classes participate in Forest Schools or outdoor learning activities. Each week EYFS will spend an afternoon session at our Forest School on their Muddy Walk. Year 1 and Year 5 will have one term of Forest School and Year 4 and 6 will then have a block of 6 weeks each academic year to focus of learning outside the classroom and build on previously taught skills, but 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 Schools will take 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.
Impact
Time spent in the outdoor environment will encourage confidence and resilience, children will be able to assess and manage their own risks, take steps to maintain safety and experience the feelings of reward and success. Our children will develop resilience to push through difficulties and learn that though we might not get our desired result the first time but that this is a spring board for learning and these challenges can be pushed through for success. It encourages problem solving, logical thinking and self-reflection and evaluation but most of all the pupils will see that mistakes aren’t failures; they are a part of learning, that they are, ultimately, human. It also helps children to develop into advocates for environmental issues. The 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. Our children are enthused and awed by nature and the changing seasons and deepen their knowledge of the environment, the flora and fauna and their responsibilities towards it.
Forest School Fun
Our Forest School is going from strength to strength and children are enjoying their visits to the wood. Many dens have been built, trees have been climbed, mini beasts explored, outside art carried out and gadgets made. There has been much laughter, team work, courage and determination shown. I am looking forward to exploring the autumn changes in the woods and countryside with the children this term and connecting these changes to our lives and school work.
Enjoying the Outdoors Whatever the Weather
The Forest School motto is we go out ‘Whatever the Weather’. We have an array of high quality outdoor waterproof clothing, kindly donated by FOMS, which has meant that this is what we are able to do, particularly as this year, ‘Whatever the Weather’ seems to have meant exploring the effects of a lot of heavy rain on our surroundings – even in the summer months!
