Forest School
What is Forest School?
Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.
Forest School has a developmental ethos shared by thousands of trained practitioners around the world, who are constantly developing their learning styles and skills to support new and imaginative learners. Its roots reach back to the open-air culture, friluftsliv, or free air life, seen as a way of life in Scandinavia where Forest School began. It arrived in the UK in 1993 and has grown from strength to strength since then.
The process helps and facilitates more than knowledge-gathering, it helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to try stuff out and take risks. Forest School inspires a deep and meaningful connection to the world and an understanding of how a learner fits within it. Our approach to risk means that learners constantly expand on their abilities by solving real-world issues, building self-belief and resilience. We believe that risk is more than just potential for physical harm, but a more holistic thing, there are risks in everything we do, and we grow by overcoming them. Forest School therefore, helps participants to become, healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners.
There is lots of research out there to support the outcomes of Forest School, but we know that it isn’t just the educational outcomes and research that matter, our learners and leaders love it too!
Taken from the Forest School Association website.
How often will my child take part in Forest School?
At Old Mill, children in all year groups from Foundation Stage to Year 6 will take part in around 5-6 sessions during a school year. We go out in all weathers!
At the start of each year, we send out the Forest School information to all year groups, including the dates of your child's sessions. These can also be found in the calendar of our Ping communication app.
What will my child need to wear?
What your child wears will depend very much on the weather. Please see the guidance below, provided by our Forest School leader.
Recommended Forest School Clothing List
Cold weather
Base layer- vest or T-shirt
Mid and thermal layers- long sleeve top and fleece or jumper
Waterproof coat and waterproof trousers
Wellington boots with welly socks
Woolly hat, snood and two pairs of gloves
Warm weather
Sunhat and sun cream
Long sleeved top and trousers to protect your child from insect bites, stings, cuts, grazes Closed toe sturdy footwear with a tread
Wellington boots and waterproof coat and waterproof trousers during wet weather conditions
Your child may get muddy and wet, therefore waterproof trousers, wellington boots and a waterproof coat that you do not mind getting dirty are strongly recommended as essential kit for Forest School.
Who leads Forest School at Old Mill?
Amanda Foxon is our trained Forest School leader. She plans and runs our sessions.