Forest School beautifully aligns with the Catholic focus on holistic development, nurturing not just children’s minds but their spirits, morals, social skills, physical health, and intellectual curiosity. It emphasizes the importance of caring for our environment, echoing the principles outlined in Laudato Si, which calls us to cherish and protect our shared home.
This unique learning environment is adaptable to meet the individual needs of each child, fostering a deep sense of growth and personal development. By encouraging exploration and connection with nature, Forest School inspires children to thrive in all aspects of their lives, while also cultivating a sense of responsibility and love for the world around them.
Forest school is an inspirational education approach to learning (based on a Scandinavian model) and finding one’s self. A way of removing the four walls to connect with nature. Regular woodland experiences with no borders, just horizons and only freedom, together with a holistic approach to learning help with the development of the ‘whole’ child. In an environment where there are no ability groups, no discrimination, no written tests or pressures; only tools, exploring, taking risks and at the end of the day being covered in mud. Forest school actually helps children identify their strengths by exploring their talents. Adults are there to facilitate a process of ‘how’ children can learn rather than ‘what’ they can learn. The children then grow their skills of resilience, confidence, self-esteem, imagination and independence over a period of time instead of following the same routines and constraints of the institutionalised classroom lesson plans. The image of the ‘Fire’ at Forest School reminds us that the ignition needed to explore greater things is fuelled by the spark that is given to the mind.
So why Forest School and what is it?
To find out more, in relation to the Forest School Ethos, click on the subpages below…
Outdoor Learning Approaches based on Theorists
The differences and principles of Outdoor Learning Approaches are explained in more detail below…
Gardners Intelligences Forest School Smarts
Promoting Holistic Development of ‘The Whole Child’
Outline the concept of holistic development
Adult understanding of Holistic development
Explain the process of managing risk and how it applies to Forest School (scenarios)
Explain how forest School promotes self esteem and emotional intelligence
Explain ways in which Forest School fosters resilient.
Summary of fostering resilience, confidence, independence and creativity.
Fostering resilience, confidence, independence and creativity
Explain how a learners behaviour could impact on own and others learning and development
Hello, I am Mrs Lindley and I am Forest School Leader. I lead Forest School sessions for KS1 and KS2 children.
When we are in Forest I am known to the children by my Forest School name, “Anna Anaconda”.
I believe Forest School promotes self learning through exploration and free play. Children develop many skills that are hard to teach in a classroom. Nature presents with so much wonderful science, creativity, holistic development, resilience and respect for nature that you can’t help but be absorbed by it.
I strongly believe children learn through relationship with others, opportunities to test themselves and challenge themselves. Forest School is not focused on product, it’s all about process.
Communication is a process, and I believe that the ability to communicate is one of the most important life skills. It allows us to convey information to others and to understand what is being expressed to us in various ways. The sensory experiences provided by Forest School stimulate language development, encourage group interaction, and foster social skills. Improving communication skills positively impacts a child’s self-esteem as well as their personal, holistic, and emotional development.
Communication is a process, and I believe that the ability to communicate is one of the most important life skills. It allows us to convey information to others and to understand what is being expressed to us in various ways. The sensory experiences provided by Forest School stimulate language development, encourage group interaction, and foster social skills. Improving communication skills positively impacts a child’s self-esteem as well as their personal, holistic, and emotional development.
Take a sneak peak at our Forest School…
Take a look at some of our Forest School experiences
“The best classroom and the richest classroom is roofed only by the sky.” M. McMillan
“The body heals with play, the mind heals with laughter and the spirit heals with joy.”
