Forest School     

           ... 'an inspirational process in which children learn through hands on activities in a natural environment.'

We are lucky enough, at St Martin of Porres, to be situated in grounds that have some ideal green and woodland space to develop a Forest School for our pupils.

Forest School is based upon early childhood principles of freedom in play, creativity, socialisation skills and emotional stability.  Children achieve and develop confidence through hands-on learning as teachers facilitate 'safe' risk-taking.  This extension to the curriculum benefits all children including the more able and talented and children with special educational needs.

The benefits of Forest School include -

• Increased self-esteem and self-confidence

• Improved social skills

•  Development of language and communication skills

• Improved physical motor skills

• Improved motivation and concentration

• Increased knowledge and understanding of the environment

Examples of Forest School Skills that pupils acquire through activities include -

• Den Building

• Tree Climbing

• Fire Skills & Cooking

• Tool work - learning to use tools safely

• Rope work - knots and lashings

Forest School is a cross-curricular teaching tool that can be accessed from Early Years through to Key Stage 3 and beyond.

English

• To encourage more effective communication where children share ideas and experiences.

• To expand the imagination and stimulate ideas that can be taken back to class as writing activities

• Poetry and story telling can be a unique experience in the outdoor environment.

Maths

• Problem solving strategies

• Counting

• Sorting and creating patterns

• Building 3D structures

Science, Geography

• Children are given the freedom to explore the world around them

• Gain an understanding of materials & their properties exploring their suitability for purpose and constructing based on those findings - i.e. den building

• Children develop a sense of identity in the community developed through Forest School breaking down boundaries of diversity

• Forest School supports and enhances many Science topics such has habitats, life-cycles and food chains.

 Art

• Encourages creative development by studying colour, shape, size and distance

• Develops team-working skills through collaborative art activities

 P.E. & Design & Technology

• Children working in an outdoor environment

• Children have the opportunity to use a range of materials and tools to which they would not normally have access

• Fine motor skills are developed through 'knot-work'

• Understanding space and safety is critical when tools and fire work is being undertaken

• Research carried out by the University of Edinburgh found that children's level of activity on a Forest School day was 2.2 times greater than on active school days and 2.7 times greater than inactive school days.