We are an Official Forest School!

WHAT IS FOREST SCHOOL?

Forest Schools first emerged in Scandinavia in the 1950’s and have become firmly embedded in the Danish education system. They recognize the importance of children having contact with nature from an early age. In the 1990s it was decided that this concept was suitable for use in Britain. Since then Forest Schools have spread throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, getting children outside, exploring and enjoying the natural world around them.

THE BENEFITS OF FOREST SCHOOL

The benefits of Forest Schools for children and society are well documented. A study by Worcestershire County Council on their Forest School program found that the benefits to participants were:

1. Increased confidence and independence of the child.

2. Development of their language skills by providing a real context for language.

3. Ability to take risks and to become more open to new experiences

4. The forest school program evolves from the needs of the child and includes the child’s interests.

5. Provides the practitioner with an alternative view of the child and further insights into a child’s particular development.

6. Beneficial to a child’s all-round development, particularly in the areas of personal, social and emotional, language and communication.

7. Underpins the principles laid down in the foundation stage guidelines.

Environmentally friendly charcoal art.

P5 FOREST SCHOOL TASTER SESSIONS - TERM 1

In Term 1 this year all P5 children had the opportunity to take part in a number of Forest School sessions.

Sessions included:

• investigating shape and using natural materials to make a shape gallery,
• looking at what makes camouflage effective and how it helps hunters and prey,
• thinking about the needs of indigenous animals in the wild and creating a shelter for specific animal which meets all its needs.

Have a look through the pictures below to see what we got up to!

P7 FOREST SCHOOL SUMMER TERM 2023

P7 pupils enjoyed Forest School in the sunshine during the summer term.

Sessions included:

- making fires with flint and steel, which they used to toast marshmallows and make smores.

- using the charcoal  left over from the fires to make charcoal art on both paper and "wooden cookies"

- Building dens

- Creating animal hotels