What is Forest School?
Introduction to Forest School
Forest School is an innovative and inspiring approach to learning for children and young people of all ages and adults. Forest School is suitable for people of all abilities and the activities are based on individual learners' needs. Forest School is also an exciting, healthy and fun recreational experience.
Aims:
- to build self confidence, self esteem and independence skills
- to raise awareness and appreciation of the natural environment
Forest School:
- Provides child initiated and self directed learning
- Takes place in a safe and supportive environment
- Is run by trained staff
- Has small groups and high staff:participant ratio
- Recognises individuals' learning needs
- Takes into account different learning styles
- Enables learning how to take appropriate risks safely
- Uses small achievable tasks which become increasingly challenging
- Involves freely chosen play
- Improves social skills
- Improves knowledge and understanding of the natural environment
- Activities can include exploring, bush craft, campfires and cooking, den building, green play, woodwork, foraging, using tools, woodland management, environmental education games, art and music, mathematics, science, history, sustainability...
Forest School is suitable for anyone. It is particularly beneficial for Early Years children, local community groups, young people not succeeding in school for whatever reason, disabled children, those with learning difficulties and many others.
Forest School meets all the requirements of the Welsh Assembly Government 'Foundation Phase' for Early Years Children. Many primary schools are developing their school grounds and training staff in order to provide young children with this important outdoor experience.
History of Forest School in UK
A team from the Centre of Excellence for Early Years from Bridgwater College, Somerset visited Early Years settings in Denmark in 1993. They were so inspired by seeing children out in the woods everyday that they came back and developed an approach to learning to fit British lifestyle and complement education here.
In 2000 the first Forest School Leader course in Wales took place in Carmarthenshire and since then Forest Schools have been developing across the country.
Some Forest Schools have been set up by schools and community groups, who have adopted the approach to provide a hands-on outdoor experience, have trained staff and set up Forest Schools in their own grounds or local woodlands. Some Forest School Leaders work independently running Forest School programmes for a variety of schools, community groups and individuals.
