Forest School

Pupils in the First and Lower Second Years enjoy regular Forest School sessions as part of their curriculum.

Forest School is a strand of outdoor education, allowing pupils the chance to develop a range of skills through regular experiences in a woodland. It is a holistic approach to education, which encourages the learning of both soft and practical skills, and an understanding of the environment.

With our own Forest School onsite, pupils are able to take part in a wide range of activities, including fire lighting and outdoor cooking, shelter building, woodwork and outdoor art.We have qualified Forest School staff who plan and lead the sessions, and under their supervision pupils are encouraged to take controlled risks and make their own choices. During a single session, one group might choose to stay by the fire and help with the cooking, another might build a ‘bug hotel’, whilst a third may invent their own game through unstructured play. Through this process of free choice and risk-taking our pupils are able to develop creativity, independence, teamwork, confidence and resilience.

At Forest School we head outside whatever the weather, giving the pupils a different experience from being in the classroom and a chance to see the woodland changing with the seasons. Often our pupils are taken out of their comfort zone, experiencing situations which they might not be used to, and having to learn by getting things wrong. Our aim is that through this process, our pupils will develop skills that will not only help them in the classroom, but more importantly will serve them well throughout their lives.