What is Forest School?

 

Forest School was introduced to us by Surrey Wildlife Trust who ran it once a week for a year in our wildlife garden. We were so impressed by the benefits and positive impact it had on our children that we applied for Lottery Funding to train 10 people and offered this training to 3 of our own staff and 7 from local schools. Staff came from a variety of key stages including secondary.

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Children learn outside in a wooded area that may be on or off site.

 

They learn how to:

 

• Create and sustain a camp fire

• Cook and make drinks on the camp fire

• Source wood and sort it into different sizes for different purposes

• Use tools effectively and safely such as saws, non-electrical drills and fire sticks

• Keep themselves safe in a variety of situations

• Work co-operatively in pairs as a team

• Anticipate and offer when help is needed

• Solve problems in a variety of situations

• Listen to and follow instructions

• Use language to ask questions, describe situations and explain procedures

• Think, plan, sequence actions and evaluate

• Appreciate and care for the environment and the diversity of creatures it sustains

• Persevere (making fire is hard and we have witnessed children persevering for as much as an hour until they master it!)

• Adapt techniques and plans

Forest Schools is incredibly engaging and motivating for children and is one of the best things we have found for promoting confidence and self esteem.