What is Forest School?

Forest School is a unique education experience and process that offers children the opportunity to succeed and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland environment.

Children engage in motivating and achievable tasks and activities throughout the year and in almost all weathers. Children will work with tools, play, learn boundaries of behaviour, both physical and social, grow in confidence, self-esteem and motivation whilst developing an understanding of the natural world.

The Forest School concept originates in Denmark, originally aimed at pre-school children, where it was found that children who had attended Forest School then arrived at school with strong social and communication skills, having the ability to work in groups effectively, generally had high self-esteem and a confidence in their own abilities. These foundations helped them to raise their academic achievements.

Forest School encourages children to:

• Develop personal and social skills
• Work through practical problems and challenges
• Use tools to create, build or manage
• Discover how they learn best
• Pursue knowledge that interests them
• Learn how to manage failures
• Build confidence in decision making and evaluating risk
• Develop practical skills
• Understand the benefits of a balanced and healthy lifestyle
• Explore connections between humans, wildlife and the earth
• Regularly experience achievement and success
• Reflect on learning and experiences
• Improve physical motor skills
• Become more motivated
• Improve their concentration skills

Forest School sessions provide children with the opportunity to explore and experience the natural world through practica activities in the outdoors, which will in return help promote confidence, independence and self-esteem. Also by using resources available in the woods and the children’s interests we hope to stimulate further imagination, creativity and enquiry skills. Forest School will be available to all our children and they will have the opportunity to attend a block of sessions before they leave us to go to school.