Samantha Aumonier - Forest School Lead
We believe at Broughton Primary School that all children have a right to outdoor education, both self-exploratory and structured learning, within and outside of school, regardless of ability, age, disability or finance, to achieve a greater understanding and respect for the natural world around them while acquiring lifetime skills alongside our school's morals and values. The ethos of Forest School is for children to instigate, test and maintain a curiosity in the world around them. It allows our pupils to explore, be creative, learn about and preserve the natural world in a safe environment. Every child has the right to play/ learn in the outdoors and Forest School can clearly achieve such targets. Forest school is an all-season activity. Sessions can range from exploring and identifying trees, plants, flowers, bugs and animals, to learning fire safety and constructing camp fires, to survival skills such as den building. Included in every session, to allow the child to explore at their own pace and progress into potential child-led learning, an element of free play will be present. This is an important part of the session that every child could excel in, find something of interest or just generally appreciate and enjoy spending time outside.
Forest School supports children to develop as a whole through child-led learning but also gain valuable skills. There is growing emphasis placed on mental well-being of children. Forest School provides opportunities for children to learn and adopt traits to encourage positive experiences and outlooks. Time spent outside in green spaces, such as woodland, fields and forests reduces rate of mental illnesses in children.
Forest School can increase numerous skills for our pupils:
• Confidence
• Self-esteem
• Motivation
• Concentration
• Problem-solving ability
• Stress relief
Not only that, but it can also provide children with the experiences to learn, apply and transfer skills into everyday life for example:
• Communication during fire safety
• Problem solving during den building
• Team work during bug hunts
• Independence during free play
• Respect for peers, wildlife and the environment in every session
Our Forest School sessions:
• are frequent and regular and take place in a natural environment
• support the development of relationships between children and the natural world
• promote holisitic development of our pupils, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners
• provide opportunities to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and learner
• are led by a qualified Forest School leader
• includes cross-curricular links to other subject areas from the National Curriculum programmes such as maths, literacy and science
23 - 24 Forest School
