What is Forest School?
It is an opportunity for children to visit a local area of woodland on a regular basis throughout the year and to experience and explore all that this rich environment has to offer.
What will children learn?
Research has shown that Forest School offers children the chance to develop:
- confidence and self esteem
- communication and social skills
- the ability to make decisions about risk
- gross and fine motor skills
- an understanding of natural and made environments
- enjoyment of the natural world
- positive attitudes to learning
What will my child do?
Forest School is about children exploring and following their own interests, so the activities they choose will vary from one week to another, be dependent on the seasons and on the individual child. However, all children will have the opportunity to try out the following activities:
- mud play
- swinging and climbing trees
- finding out about minibeasts, birds and plants
- story telling and sharing experiences in the log circle
- den and shelter building
- playing hide and seek
- using tools (with 1-1 adult supervision)
When will my child go?
You will be notified in advance of the dates your child will be at Forest School.
What do you do in bad weather?
We make sure we have lots of warm clothes, a waterproof coat with a hood and waterproof trousers. We go out in snow, rain, sun etc. but not into the woods in a high wind because of the danger of falling branches. As long as children have the correct clothing for the weather they will have lots of fun.
Where is Forest School?
We have an area at the bottom of the playing field where there are some existing mature trees and hedgerows. A willow fence and oak gate have been installed around the log circle area and we have a long term plan to develop the area by the tyres.