Forest School

We would like Forest School at St Swithun’s to be:

A therapeutic space.

A space of wonder and wow.

A safe space that pupils connect with, love being in and ‘run too’/ ask to go to when experiencing difficult feelings or finding it hard to self-regulate.

A place and community to build self-esteem, confidence, resilience and a place to take risks (physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual).

A place to play.

A place to make mistakes and learn.

Forest School is a place to learn new skills and gain knowledge of the natural world (tying knots, building dens, playing with and crafting using natural materials, growing plants from seed to plate, tasting foods grown themselves, using tools (knives, bow saw, loppers, drill).

It is also a place to build social skills by sharing ideas and equipment, working together, solving problems, falling out and making up, resolving conflict and making decisions together.

Children can build and develop speech language and communication, learning ‘subject’ specific vocabulary (oak tree, dandelions, vegetable names, names of tools and gardening jobs e.g. planting, potting, harvesting)

There are opportunities for proprioception and vestibular activities (laying in a hammock and swinging).

Forest School is a non-judgmental place to ‘be’. 

It represents the children’s learning processes and working together (e.g. making a musical instrument together (xylophone), making bundles of kindling that together help to light a fire and art made from natural resources that is displayed in our outdoor spaces.

We have circle times to develop social skills, taking turns to talk, listening, tell stories and reflecting on sessions.

Forest School Brief:

To provide regular outdoor play experiences

To support pupils to explore and connect with the natural world.

For play to be child led (and intrinsically motivated where possible).

To support pupils to take risks which could be physical emotional social, mental and spiritual.  Pupils will always be given the option to pass. 

To support pupils to problem solve and find their own solutions

Our role as adults:

To facilitate play experiences rather than direct pupils

Observe pupil interests to support the planning of future sessions in order to scaffold learning and support next steps of learning.

To model play and have fun.