Forest School
Forest School
During their time at nursery all children have the opportunity to take part in Forest school sessions. This involves travelling by mini-bus to a beautiful natural woodland area (usually Hampstead Heath) once a week for a half-term (which is approximately 5 full day sessions). Your child will be one of a group of 10 children led by 3 staff, including a trained Forest School Leader. Children are provided with waterproof outer clothing and a forest school bag to carry their kit and packed lunch. Staff bring everything they need for a full day of exploring and learning in nature, including snacks, drinks and resources to set up camp. A full risk assessment has been done of the forest school site and we always carry a first aid kit and mobile phones for emergency contact.
Forest school is a child-centred approach to learning and supports an appreciation and respect for our natural world. There are a wide range of benefits of Forest School for young children. Case studies have shown that through Forest School children can:
- Develop self-regulation skills.
- Cope with and learn from failure.
- Build resilience (the skill of coping with risk and failure).
- Gain a sense of achievement.
- Increase motivation and concentration.
- Improve problem solving.
- Expand their vocabulary and communication skills.
- Feel empowered and have new perspectives.
- Build positive relationships with adults and peers.
- Have overall improved wellbeing and mental health.
Children thrive outdoors in nature, developing their curiosity and understanding of the world. We often see children coming out of their shell and showing us a side of themselves that we maybe don’t get to see in the nursery, such as showing leadership, strategic thinking, or talking enthusiastically about their interests and experiences. Forest School is a very memorable experience for the children and for our staff, and it is an experience that we would love for all children to have.
Our 2 year olds also get involved in our Forest School Curriculum and have ‘Mini-Forest School’ sessions in a local nature area once a week.
