SSC Forest School

What is Forest School?

Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, which offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.

Oak and Acorn class visit our Forest School every Friday and it is something we very much look forward to. The sessions help our pupils to develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to try new things and take risks. We have the freedom to explore the trails within the Forest School looking at what we can find. The Forest School provides us with an amazing safe space where we can climb trees, run, explore and be creative.

We spend time playing games to build strong relationships as a class team. Our favourite game to play at the end of our learning session is Hide and Seek, there are a lot of fantastic places to hide in our Forest School. We also spend a lot of time sitting around the fire pit circle sharing our experiences and discussing what we have found in our exploration time.

Some of the activities that we have experienced so far include shelter building, fire lighting, campfire cooking and charcoal making.

Below is some pupil voice from the children in our Oak class: Piper – “I loved it when we pushed the teachers in the hammocks, they screamed so loudly! I want to be a forest school teacher when I am older.” Ben – “I really love doing all the activities, it is my favourite part of the week.”
Rayyan – “Forest school is so good, we get to make fires and go through spider webs.”
Harley – “I like working with my friends outside.”