Forest School

Forest School is a truly inspirational process which offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment.

What is Forest School?

Forest School is a specialised learning approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education. It is very much a child-centred process, taking learning out of the classroom and offering further exciting opportunities for holistic growth.

It is a long-term program which supports play, exploration and supported risk-taking, developing pupils' confidence and self-esteem through learner-inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.

Although Forest School has shown to be especially valuable and rewarding for those children who thrive more with practical tasks working outside of the classroom, it is a scheme which can be tailored to and fully enjoyed by pupils of any academic ability, of either Key Stage and any year group, and of any SEN and/or neurodivergency need.

We are incredibly proud to be able to offer a full Forest School experience to our pupils on-site at school, as we believe it to be an extremely enriching and rewarding experience for them.

History of Forest School

The idea of outdoor forest-based learning and play can be traced as far back as the 1950s, originating in Denmark where it became an embedded part of the curriculum for pre-school children before being adopted by Sweden and other Scandinavian countries.

This exciting new ethos took until the mid-1990s to arrive in the UK, being pioneered by Bridgwater College in Somerset where a group of nursery staff travelled abroad to study the Danish and Nordic models of Forest Kindergartens.

Such was the initiatives's popularity that by 2006, around 140 designated forest school learning environments had been created in Britain... including Bosbury's very own special woodland area situated in the cosy corner of our school field!

Since its creation in 2010, the site has flourished and expanded massively, featuring its own comfy log circle and fire pit, the planting of several silver birch trees, new fencing, a mud kitchen, an on-site shed for storing all of our lovely resources, an extremely popular deep mud pit, and an equally-as-popular tyre swing!

The Forest School ethos is shared by thousands of trained practitioners across the UK and beyond... including by our own three specially-trained members of staff!

At Forest School, all children are viewed as being:

• ♠ equal, unique and valuable;
• ♠ competent to explore and discover;
• ♠ entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge;
• ♠ able to choose, initiate and drive their own learning and development;
• ♠ entitled to experience regular success;
• ♠ able to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people;
• ♠ entitled to develop a strong, positive relationship with the natural world.

This learner-centred approach is interwoven with the ever-changing moods and marvels, potential and challenges of the natural world through the seasons to fill every Forest School session and programme with discovery and difference.

Whether it be building impressive dens, stirring up imaginative-looking soups and stir-frys, concocting exciting potions, cooking tasty treats over the fire pit, hunting for minibeasts, whittling sticks to make bows and arrows, sawing and drilling, digging the deepest pits, creating natural collages, weaving, practising knot-tying skills... or just enjoying the pure thrill of being allowed to get really, really muddy, Forest School at Bosbury really does have something for everyone.