Forest School
What is Forest School?
Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process that 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.
The Benefits of Forest School
Research in the UK into Forest School and its benefits for young children has found positive impacts in terms of their confidence, social skills, language and communication, motivation and concentration, physical skills and knowledge and understanding.
Forest School Principles and Core Values
Quality Forest School is delivery which holds to all six key principles that shape and govern the Forest School ethos. There are many forms of outdoor education and all have enormous value, however, Forest School is unique in its reach, delivery and effect.
These six principles are:
1. Forest School is a long-term process of regular sessions, rather than one-off or infrequent visits; the cycle of planning, observation, adaptation and review links each session.
2. Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a lifelong relationship between the learner and the natural world.
3. Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for being, development and learning.
4. Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
5. Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
6. Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners, who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
It is only when we see the six principles working together do we truly see the value of Forest School. Underpinning the principles are some positive core values.
These can be summarised as, learners are all:
- Equal, unique and valuable
- Competent to explore and discover
- Entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge
- Entitled to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development
- Entitled to experience regular success
- Entitled to develop respectful and positive relationships with themselves and other people
- Entitled to develop a strong, positive relationship with their natural world
Forest School's learner-centred approach interweaves with the ever-changing moods and marvels, potential and challenges of the natural world through the seasons to fill every Forest School session and programme with discovery and difference. Making each session and every experience a valuable one. (Forest School Association)
Our Forest School
At FPIS, our Forest School provides regular, long-term access to a natural woodland environment where children can learn through self-directed play. Our Forest School has a learner-centred, holistic approach to learning and development which allows all children the opportunity to develop personal, social and emotional skills such as confidence; self-esteem; empathy; creativity and communication skills, combined with a deepening knowledge of the natural environment and ability to assess risks and challenge themselves. Our Forest School fosters an environment where every child can be successful.
Our Forest School Responsibilities
At FPIS, we believe that by giving our children responsibilities they are empowered to make choices and decisions about their own learning, with support from our skilled adults, whilst having the opportunity to develop their understanding of the impact of their words and actions upon others, their environment and the wider world.
Our Forest School Responsibilities are:
Look after yourself
Look after each other
Look after nature