Forest School is a child-centred, outdoor learning approach, which provides children with opportunities to play and explore, and to develop confidence and self-esteem, through hands on learning experiences, in a natural setting. Forest School experiences give children the freedom, time and space to explore and investigate the world around them, take supported risks, try new things, challenge themselves and develop a connection to the natural world.
At St Peter’s, we believe every pupil should have access to the outdoors and have the opportunity to experience exploration and play in a natural environment. Our Forest School aspires to provide stimulating and challenging hands-on learning experiences, which are play based and child led, enabling children to drive their own learning and development, supporting them to become curious, confident, creative, resilient and independent learners. The experiences within Forest School are also intended to promote pupil’s mental health and well-being by offering a relaxed, non-judgmental space for self-discovery and personal growth.
All of our pupils are offered the opportunity to participate in Forest School sessions each academic year. Sessions take place in our school grounds, in our designated Forest School site. A typical session length is one afternoon. Forest School takes place all year round, in all weathers (with the exception of strong winds and storms, extreme heat/cold due to safety). This supports learning about the seasons and changes in the environment. All sessions are planned and delivered by our Qualified Level 3 Forest School Practitioner with the support of our teaching staff. Our Forest School sessions are planned to provide children with a choice of open-ended play invitations such as team games, problem-solving challenges, shelter building, natural art, woodland crafts, using tools, pioneering, scavenger hunts, wildlife investigations, fire lighting, storytelling, playing with natural resources, and mud and water play. Our Forest School sessions aim to encourage children to explore the world through their senses; connect with nature; build confidence in making choices and evaluating risks; work in collaboration with others; develop practical knowledge and skills; work with and experience natural materials; learn to use a range of tools and equipment; explore and investigate through practical hands-on learning experiences and challenges; develop resilience; and to improve physical motor skills.
An important part of the Forest School ethos, is to support children to take managed risks. Due to the nature of Forest School, there are inherent risks. Robust risk benefit assessments are completed by the Forest School Lead Practitioner, identifying how taking considered risks contributes to children’s holistic development, identifying hazards and putting safety measures in place to make the Forest school site and activities as safe as is reasonably possible. Forest School golden rules and safety procedures are discussed at the start of every session and the children are made aware of any potential hazards, in order to keep themselves and each other safe.
The Forest School Lead Practitioner builds reflection and review of activities into the beginning and end of sessions. Observations are made to ensure that the Forest School Programme is adapted to support the development of children’s interests, knowledge and skills through exploratory play and discovery.
Forest School provides a holistic and immersive learning environment that nurtures the physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual aspects of children’s development in the following ways:
Where possible, Forest School sessions are adapted to ensure the specific needs of individual pupils are considered, enabling every child to participate and to succeed and thrive. The freedom of the Forest School environment provides opportunities for exploration and experimentation, enabling children to direct and control their own play and learning. This allows children to challenge themselves at their own pace and in their own way, and to discover what they are capable of. Forest School offers an array of hands-on learning and sensory experiences, which are responsive to the interests, abilities and different learning styles of each pupil.
Some of our pupils are invited to participate in our nurture group Forest School sessions (Fox Cubs in the Forest). Our nurture groups aim to support pupils to build their self-confidence, self-esteem and emotional well-being.
