Forest School
Set within our enclosed fields we are able to give children the opportunity to spend days outside connecting with nature; enjoying the unique experience and education that is Forest School. Children are able to connect with nature, develop their imagination, thinking and problem solving skills, build their confidence, resilience and risk management skills, but most importantly have lots of fun!
​
Teachers listen to the children’s ideas and thoughts at the beginning of each session, understanding the adventures they hope to have that day, and allowing children to be directors of their own learning. From this our teachers carefully plan the session, giving children freedom to explore as they wish, climb trees (with supervision), build dens, play in the mud, make rope swings and rope balance games, learning how to light fires, cook and prepare food outdoors, look at local nature and wildlife, through bug hunts, pond dipping and bush craft activities and being creative using the environment around them with natural materials and developing a love of transient art.
Our teaching staff are very well qualified and all have a passion for outdoor learning, understanding how to incorporate all areas of the curriculum into our forest school sessions, and plan for children’s next steps in their development from their careful observation of individual children’s learning. Staff gather with children at the end of each session to reflect upon what they have enjoyed and learnt at Forest School that day and discuss what they would like to do the next time, all children’s thoughts, ideas and pictures are recorded in a floor book, giving children lots of opportunity for mark making, and early writing, the floor book is something we revisit each session to re-focus our learning from the last session and gather our ideas for the next.
Our staff are skilled at allowing the children to steer their own learning and manage their own risks, which is a vital part of their development. Children build on their innate motivation, positive attitudes and/or interests. Children grow in confidence as they reflect and plan their own learning, allowing them to problem solve, make mistakes and try again builds on their resilience.
Resilience is an important skill for children to develop, as it enables them to learn in a more effective way, accepting others ideas and working in groups. Children with resilience will be less upset if they don’t complete a task and will be confident to try again next time.
Our Forest School sessions run throughout the year both full and half day sessions, enabling children to become emerged in the ethos. During school holidays, we offer Forest School Club for children aged 5-10 years. Forest School with Serendipity provides children with the opportunity to spend their nursery days in the natural environment rather than only in our nursery classroom, experiencing the season’s first hand and developing their innate curiosity and love of learning.