Forest School

Forest School is an approach to education that makes use of the outdoor environment to create a unique learning vehicle. It believes in children’s right to play; the right to access outdoors in a woodland environment; the right to access risk; the right to experience the natural world around them; the right to experience a healthy range of emotions, through all challenges of social interaction, to build resilience that enables continued and creative engagement with peers.

The activities at forest school are designed to improve the children’s resilience and self-confidence. The children are expected to have a go at everything and the adults will support them but not complete the task for them. Children use a range of tools and need to use good communication and negotiation skills. Team work skills are also developed as a number of the activities and tools require team work. The tool work we do helps with fine and gross motor skills which in turn support handwriting.

Forest school helps children work, learn and play with a wider range of children and shows the class teacher how they work in a different environment which can then be used to inspire and develop learning in the classroom.