What is Forest School?

At St Mary’s, we are proud to offer our children a fantastic forest school experience within our own school grounds. We understand the huge benefits of forest school and have developed a superb area to deliver a high-quality programme of forest school activities. Children also have the opportunity to explore and use our onsite allotment and local woodland areas beyond the school grounds.

“Forest School is an inspirational process, which offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem, through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees. Forest School is a specialised learning approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.” Forest School Association.

How do we keep the children safe?

Our forest school leader is fully trained and is always accompanied by first-aid trained staff. The outdoor areas are carefully checked and assessed before they are used and the children are given explicit instructions/training before undertaking any activities.

Part of forest school is teaching children about risks and how to evaluate them. The children will be taught about how to add fuel to a fire, cook and make drinks using a fire, climb trees and use tools. These activities will be introduced to the children when they are ready and will be carefully supervised by an adult at all times. By allowing children to take these measured risks, we help to prepare them for making choices when they are older and teach them to be actively responsible for themselves, their choices and actions.

Benefits of Forest School

Forest School is a child-centred, inspirational learning process that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a programme that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.

Benefits for our children attending forest include:

• Develop self-regulation skills.
• Cope with and learn from failure.
• Build resilience (the skill of coping with risk and failure).
• Gain a sense of achievement.
• Increase motivation and concentration.
• Improve problem solving.
• Expand their vocabulary and communication skills.
• Feel empowered and have new perspectives.
• Build positive relationships with adults and peers.
• Have overall improved wellbeing and mental health.