Forest School
Outdoor Learning
Welcome to our Forest School!
During the year all of our pupils will be spending time in our Forest School. This is to encourage and nurture their resilience, compassion and creativeness whilst encouraging them to value the natural world and every living being's wellbeing.
Our Forest School Ethos
The Forest School ethos is built around a respect for our pupils, encouraging them to use their own curiosity and insight to enhance their own learning. It does this by encouraging play whilst giving them the right to access the outdoors, giving them the opportunity to access risk in the natural world, whilst experiencing a range of emotions and the challenge of social interactions. Forest School steps away from the normal process of planned activities and instead ventures collaboratively into the realms of the unplanned, unexpected and unlimited. Being outdoors is central to supporting this dynamic approach to learning from the passing of time, the seasonal changes this natural environment provides our pupils with an infinite source of learning that heightens all of our senses including, smells, textures, sounds, tastes as well as a range of changing visual stimuli. These experiences enable our pupils to build their own resilience whilst enhancing their continued and creative engagement with their peers.
Our Forest School aims
Aligning with our school values of Aspire, Belong, Care and Discover: our aims within Forest School are to provide all of our pupils with a safe environment that they can explore, enabling them to lead their own learning from their own interests which in turn will nurture a deep sense of compassion and belonging for their natural surroundings. The very essence of the sessions will enable pupils to challenge themselves and achieve their own goals, encouraging them to aspire to be their best self physically, spiritually, mentally and academically.
We will be doing this by following the six core principles outlined by the UK Forest School Association...
Long- term principle - This ensures that our pupils have regular contact with the natural world over a sustained period of time, creating a deeper connection towards the natural world. Allowing them to experience the natural world throughout all the seasons.
Leadership principle - Our Forest School is led by a practitioner who can continually reflect on, question and develop, their own practice/learning. Using observation to ensure the sessions respond to the individual needs of pupils whilst providing opportunities and resources for individual learning preferences and ensuring that all policies and procedures are up to date.
Holistic Learning principle - To link experiences at Forest School to life in our school setting, at home and in the wider community, whilst developing the pupils as a whole. This includes physical, social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional and spiritual aspects and creating links in each areas when appropriate.
Risk Principle - Provide opportunities for our pupils to build on their own personal interests, motivation and positive attitudes. We follow a risk-benefit process that is tailored to the development stage of the pupil. This means our pupils are encouraged to take risks in a safe context allowing them to move through their learning zones and build resilience at their own pace, be they emotional, physical, cognitive or social risks. Tools and fires will only be used when it is deemed appropriate to the learners and will be dependant on completion of a baseline risk assessment in each session.
Communication principle - To ensure that Forest School is based on a learner-centred approach, this ensures that the needs and interests of the pupils are met. In order to do this we work with our pupils in an 'equal' learning community, encouraging communication and joint decision making that help to build relationships between the pupils and leaders. Play and choice are encouraged as they are vital to learning and development. The observation of the pupils feeds into the tailoring of planning for future Forest School sessions and is an important element of the Forest School pedagogy, ensuring pupils recognise their own achievements and develop as a whole.
Nature principle - To monitor and maintain the natural ecological aspect of our site, whilst building a relationship with nature through personal experiences enabling staff, pupils and the wider community to develop long-term, environmentally sustainable, compassionate attitudes and practices. Providing natural resources for inspiration, to enable ideas and to encourage fundamental motivation.
We will be providing regular sessions throughout the year, allowing all children to experience the different seasons.
During the term we will be adding updates of our forest school journey here and on our School Facebook page.