Forest School
Forest School is a way of learning and building confidence in a natural environment. It gives children the opportunity to explore the world around them and learn to respect and love nature. Forest School supports children’s right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities.
At Forest School children access the vibrant reality of the natural world,giving them opportunities for problem solving, critical thinking, social interaction and chances to build resilience in a challenging world. Forest School sessions help children build positive values and attitudes about themselves, about learning, about managing risks and about the environment.
This is done through a supportive curriculum which has the child’s interests at heart. The children, within a regular routine, initiate their own learning and manage their time. Activities are planned that reflect the children’s interests and build on experiences from previous sessions. Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of the child, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
It is important that children go to Forest School on a regular basis in their time at school. This enables children to build up their knowledge of the site and experience the changing landscape and seasons. They soon learn the best tree to climb, a good spot to go on a mini beast hunt, the log to look under to find a toad, the boggy part of the site that freezes over, where the fungi grow - the list is endless. Children build a bank of positive first-hand experiences which enhance their understanding and add value to their classroom learning. It also supports their physical and mental well-being and has a positive impact on their personal and social skills.
Ultimately Forest School is lots of fun enjoyed by children and adults alike!
AS Forest School Progression of Skills
Bushcraft
Back to Basics run weekly Bushcraft sessions for our children in our wonderful woodland. If you go down to the woods today, you’ll certainly be in for a big surprise at all the fabulous work the children have put in to creating their super shelters and more!
Back to Basics has a trusted reputation delivering Bushcraft, outdoor education & common sense.
They teach safe, fun & educational activities building on skills through activities including fire lighting, foraging, axe throwing, air rifles, shelter building, water, knots, tree identification, first aid and more!
The benefits of outdoor education and in particular Bushcraft are immense. It can help develop confidence, nurture new skills, assist with well-being and helps your mental health. They deliver outdoor activities that help to build resilience, common sense, fine motor skills, freedom, social skills & emotional stability.
Director & lead Instructor is Jonathan Earle, ‘The Bushcraft Man‘. Jonathan has been an outdoor instructor since 2011.
Outdoor learning is an area that offers such a great diversity and potential for learning.
With Ofsted being so positive in regard to outdoor learning we have been asked by school leaders to provide more detailed evidence of activities and intended outcomes. Even though it is plain to see the benefits, evidence via work based books with strong lesson plans are essential. We have developed our courses in collaboration with school leaders, and have referenced them to areas of the National Curriculum.
We will work with your school, class or smaller group and with proven courses we explore outdoor learning using Bushcraft and outdoor learning skills. The pupils have a booklet that they have stamped to evidence each skill or area of the National Curriculum they have covered for a specific activity. Having the children develop and be involved in their own learning outcomes allows them to take much more from a subject and discuss what they have learnt more passionately.
The idea of learning by going back to the basics is our core aim as you need to build up and develop skills as you go. Our record booklet has white tick box squares for FOUNDATION activities and skills and grey tick box squares for ADVANCED activities and skills.
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