Forest School
Forest School Curriculum Statement
Forest School at Goodrich Church of England Primary School
Here at Goodrich we focus on providing a safe outdoor learning environment where all children are freely allowed to discover, play, problem solve, explore and take suitable risks whilst learning. Providing children with boundless opportunities to improve their social, physical, independent and teamwork skills - which enables every child to increase their confidence and self-esteem. Responsible and managed challenges and risk-taking are encouraged; this ensures the children develop trusting relationships with their peers. We encourage every child to listen to each other, discuss and contribute to any ideas that each and every child may have.
Where does Forest School take place?
Forest school takes place within the school grounds in a designated wooded area. Forest School is organised and run by 3 qualified Forest School leaders.
What is Forest School?
“Forest School is an inspirational process that offers all children and young people opportunities to achieve, develop independence, confidence and self-esteem, through hands-on and physical learning experiences in a woodland environment.”
Forest School aims to encourage and promote an understanding and caring ethos towards the natural world:
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- Care for oneself
- Care for other people
- Care for the environment
Quotes taken from - www.forestschoolassociation.org
Activities
Some of the activities that we do are
- Flora and fauna identification
- Mini-beast hunt and identification
- Observing changes throughout the seasons
- Mud painting and modelling
- Making mud pies
- Den and shelter building
- Knots
- Scavenger hunts
- Team games
- Fire use to include cooking
- Gutting and cooking fish, soup, bread, toasting marshmallows and making hot chocolate.
- Tool use (under supervision)
Benefits of Forest School
Forest School builds on a child’s positive motivation and attitude to learning in an outdoor environment. They are able to make their own choices which initiates learning for them.
Forest School helps children respect, understand, appreciate and care for the natural environment.
Forest School takes place in all weather except for thunderstorms and high winds.
Forest School can be their preferred environment for some children.
Forest School promotes physical activity through play.
Forest School promotes the freedom to choose suitable activities whilst being child-led.
To summarise:
Forest Schools allows children to embrace the environment that helps their personal, social and emotional skills and development, confidence and self-esteem in a natural and child-initiated way. With regular visits to the Forest School area, this also allows the child to be physical, creative, independent, confident and caring.
Forest School Progression Document
Forest School Sticky Knowledge
