Forest Schools are spreading across the UK having become a key part of the Scandinavian education system.

Learning outside  has been shown to have a direct positive impact on pupils':

• concentration
• self-esteem
• social skills
• and on higher educational achievements.

We believe that everyone benefits from access to the natural environment and in particular the specific opportunities presented by woodland.

Forest School offers a learner-led approach where participants can learn through exploration in association with others or independently.

We believe the natural environment offers learners of all abilities the chance to show imagination, skill, ability and determination in a non-classroom setting.

Forest School has been set up to give children opportunities to: 

• develop social interaction
• learn and extend skills
• build confidence
• learn to assess and manage personal risk
• become confident in exploring the outside world
• learn about the woodland habitat and the natural world.

The key objectives are that the individual learners, supported by other learners and Forest Leaders:

• Engage and enjoy the opportunities available in Forest School
• Are able to establish and follow rules for behaviour and safe practice in familiar and new activities
• Are confident in tackling new activities and show persistence and resilience
• Are able identity activities they enjoy and develop their own ideas
• Become confident and comfortable being in the natural world
• Are able to recognise, identify and care for some elements of the natural world they are exploring
• Use and apply classroom skills through practical activities.

And of course it's also all about fun!

Our Forest School curriculum provision is available to the Nursery all year and timetabled for other year groups during the academic year. Additional sessions are used as  interventions to support individual pupils.

Our qualified Forest School Lead is Mrs Denise Carlisle.