At Abbey Road, Forest School is built into our curriculum during Reception and Year 3. Sessions are led by fully qualified practitioners.
In our Forest School sessions, we aim to build up a child’s confidence, self-esteem and self-worth to enable them to be a lifelong learner. We give the children opportunities to learn through different experiences, ultimately through play and exploration.
The sessions are child led and will deviate from planned experiences in order to follow the children’s interests. We build up a community allowing the children to feel relaxed and happy with their peers. We play games and have fun getting to know each other well and form a community together.
The sessions teach children about their natural environment: they identify trees and wildlife. They learn practical skills of shelter building, tying knots and using tools safely. The sessions provide opportunities for children to develop their own learning, self-awareness, social and communication skills and emotional intelligence at a pace, and in an environment, that is non-threatening, not classroom based and therefore flexible to meet their needs.
The benefits of learning outside have been seen to improve children’s social and communication skills and build self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities. In the long term, this also helped to raise children’s academic achievements.
Our Forest School Handbook contains information about our provision: Forest School Handbook
