Forest School

Welcome to Forest School

Teachers: 

Mrs R Duke	Mrs L Barlow

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Forest School, please contact your class teacher on Class Dojo. 

A Warm Welcome! 

Welcome to Forest School! We are so excited to be on this learning journey together this year. Our outdoor Forest School area and classroom is an inclusive, supportive, and engaging environment where we encourage curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning. 

What is Forest School? 

Forest School programme is an approach to outdoor, child led learning over a series of sessions throughout the year. Each year group will attend forest school sessions for half a term, scheduled throughout the school year. These sessions will support the main curriculum, particularly literacy, science, maths, and the arts. The sessions will provide children the opportunity to explore new environments, develop and learn in the great outdoors while fostering a love for nature. Focusing on building pupils’ self-esteem and independence fosters resilience, compassion, and creativity.

Forest School Ethos 

Penwortham Primary School's Forest School Ethos values respect for pupils, fostering their curiosity and self-directed learning. Exploring and play are at the heart of our Forest School ethos and gives pupils opportunities to free play and explore our outdoor environment. Forest School is not structed based upon classroom lessons of planned activities and learning and instead ventures into the realms of unplanned, unexpected, and unlimited ways in which we run activities around the pupil’s curiosity and interests. Outdoor learning is central to support learning in our pupils as the changing seasons provides an infinite source of learning that heightens their senses including smells, textures, sounds, tastes as well as a range of ever-changing visual stimuli. Outdoor experiences enable pupils to develop their curiosity, confidence, self-esteem, creativity, empathy, communication skills, knowledge of the natural environment and ability to assess risk. 

Forest School Aims 

Our Forest School aims will align with our school values of Aspire, Belong, Care and Discover. The aims are to provide all pupil’s a safe environment that they can explore, nurture, and make self-led discoveries in the outdoors. This approach allows students to pursue their own interests, fosters a sense of care, and helps them feel connected to the natural environment. Sessions will aspire pupils to challenge themselves and achieve their own goals while encouraging them to be their personal best and be happy children who achieve. To achieve this, we expect our pupils to be ready to learn, respectful to their surroundings and peers while being responsible for their own learning. 

We will provide a quality Forest School experience by following these six principles:  

• Forest school is a long-term process with weekly sessions during half term time will ensure it remains frequent and regular of each class. These sessions will be held at different times of the year so each year group will experience diverse Forest throughout their Penwortham Primary School journey. 

• Forest school will take place outside; we will utilise our on-site Forest School area and outdoor classroom. 

• Areas of child-led learning that will be explored include intellectual, emotional, social, physical, and creative development. 

• We will assist pupils in taking appropriate risks suited to their environment and abilities. However, we will not push them beyond their capabilities, as this could potentially endanger them. 

• Forest school is a child-led process where we follow children's interests through planned activities. This may involve modifying or omitting lesson plans if the activities do not engage the participants. 

• A qualified Forest School practitioner will consistently lead the sessions, with continuing professional development strongly encouraged to enhance the learners' experience. 

Forest School Activity Examples 

Our Forest School programme activities will depend on the ability and experience of the participants. Examples of Forest School activities are: 

• Learning about plants and wildlife. 

• Building dens and structures. 

• Fires and fire lighting. 

• Games and imaginative play. 

• Natural crafts. 

• Using tools such as knifes and saws. 

• Scavenger hunts. 

Forest School Key Information 

Please ensure your child arrives at school with extra clothing suitable for the current weather. Extra clothing checklist can be downloaded at the bottom of this page. Children will need to bring in a water bottle for each session. 

Our Class Vision – Guided by Our School Values 

In Forest School, we live out our school values every day: 

Aspire – We always try our best and aim high in everything we do. 
Belong – We work together as a team, support each other, and celebrate everyone's unique contributions. 
Care – We show kindness, empathy, and respect to ourselves, each other, and the world around us. 
Discover – We are curious learners who ask questions, explore new ideas, and enjoy learning new things. 
Excellence – We take pride in our work, celebrate our achievements, and never stop striving to improve. 

Our Forest School Timetable

Contact Us 

If you have any questions, concerns or would just like to say hello, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via the school office, by email or Class Dojo. 

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