We are very excited to tell you about a new learning opportunity we have for our reception children.

On a Friday we take the children’s learning outside. After a very successful clearing of the wooded area, we can now use this area for forest schools activities.

What is Forest School?

Forest school is an inspirational process that has been evolving in the UK since the early 1990’s. It fits in to the realm of outdoor education, but differs by being child led. Children are allowed to direct their own learning, following their interests. School staff are there to provide inspiration, stimulate and scaffold, but mainly just to observe learning. Through exciting and stimulating play, children learn about themselves, others and the world around them. Play at Forest school allows children to encounter and experience risk in a safe and supported environment. This may be through climbing a tree, using unfamiliar tools, making dens or just working with someone that they do not know. Children will always be encouraged to identify and access their own risks. Eventually this will become autonomous. Children engage in achievable tasks and activities throughout the year and in most weathers. This allows children to observe the changes to seasons, experience weather and develop a relationship with nature that they will take through their adult lives.

What will your child need to wear?

NO school uniform on a Friday.

Children are best wearing several thin layers that can be added or removed as needed. Children will need the following items of clothing:

· Waterproof trousers and jacket.

· Old trainers or shoes and welly boots if wet.

· Long sleeve tops and full length trousers in all weathers, an old tracksuit would be ideal.

· A sun hat and sun cream for warm days.

We will be digging, climbing and playing on the ground. Please wear old clothes as we will get dirty!

Why Forest Schools?

Forest school supports the holistic development of children. It will benefit them by:

· Increasing social skills; Children share, negotiate, lead and problem solve with their peers.

 · Increasing confidence through small, manageable tasks.

· Gaining knowledge and understanding of their natural environment, the plants and animals that live there and the change in seasons.

· Understanding their own strengths, weaknesses and learning styles.

· Increasing emotional wellbeing. Just being in nature has been shown to have a real and positive effect to children’s mental wellbeing.

· Developing new skills using tools and traditional crafts.

· Having an opportunity to play and follow their own agenda.

· For some children, it can form a new relationship with learning that they can take back into the classroom.

We feel our children will really benefit from these experiences.