Forest School
Wychwood Primary School – Forest School Vision Statement
Intent
Forest school at Wychwood’s provides leaners with the opportunity to explore different surroundings outside of the classroom, promoting experiential learning in a stimulating, inspiring and enriching outdoor environment. Forest school promotes safe risk taking, independence and self-awareness for all leaners as well as developing communication skills, resilience and team building skills. Forest school underpins our core ethos; promoting positive role models, encouraging the use of rich vocabulary and learning to respect and be responsible for our world.
Implementation
At Wychwood’s, children in FSU and KS1 benefit from weekly timetabled forest school sessions in our on-site woodland. Trained staff deliver these sessions. The focus is on developing the child as a whole, in an enabling natural environment. Through practical activities, children develop in such areas as resilience, confidence, self-esteem, imagination and independence. It is the adults role to lead by example, observing the child initiated learning and being the catalyst to further their possibilities. We believe that forest school allows the opportunity for children to access an unlimited learning potential. Skill and knowledge progression overviews are available for leaders to use and refer to when planning to ensure that children are given the opportunity to build on and develop acquired skills as they move from FSU to Year 2.
Impact
Through regular forest school sessions our children develop the following skills:
- Confidence
- Independence
- Self-esteem
- Resilience
- Problem Solving
- Ability to establish boundaries for risk taking
- Communication and language skills
- Increased motivation and concentration
- Improved physical development
- Understanding of and connectedness to nature
- Learning walks and pupil interviews demonstrate the skill progression through the year groups and the importance place on using a rich and varied vocabulary.
Forest School Curriculum Links
Forest School Yearly Progression
