Forest School

Forest School

Forest school is an inspirational process that 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.

During the summer I was signed up to help gardening at a primary school in Stroud over the summer holidays. I had heard about Forest schools but honestly didn’t know what all the hype was about and thought it was just a good way to cover PPA time. However, my opinions quickly changed. 

Not only does a Forest school help children learn about looking after the environment, compositing and gardening; it teaches children to grow their own lunch (all the food and herbs grown in the gardens is kept for the children’s lunches). Forest school also helps children to have hands on science lessons, as well as offering fun play time, such as den and fire making.

It was also extremely refreshing to see that the school was making the gardens accessible to everyone by making ramps and path ways, meaning that not only can children with disabilities access the gardens but so can the parents and grandparents of the children at the school.

Forest school isn’t just an approach for primary schools, we are now seeing more and more nurseries following this approach. I recently visited a nursery based in woodlands where food is cooked on the fire, toilets are composite toilets and all learning is outdoors.

I would highly recommend forest schools and hope to see more schools and nurseries getting involved as it provides hands on learning, as well as bringing children together working as a team.