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FOREST SCHOOL

Two of our team have attended Forest School training to benefit our rural pre-school and enable the children to make the most of the beautiful local environment. Naomi Williams is now a qualified Forest School Leader Level 3 and Sarah Bolton completed her Level 2 Forest School Assistant course.  ​

Forest school programmes in England developed after an exchange visit to Denmark in 1993 by a group from Bridgewater College. They witnessed the benefits of providing young children with space and time outdoors in a woodland environment where they can have fun, thrive and learn.

Forest School is a refreshing way of building children’s confidence, independence and self-esteem by providing them with opportunities to explore, communicate and discover.

Our aims at Forest School

- Develop their understanding and appreciation for the natural world
 

- Provide children with time to develop skills over a minimum 6 week programme
 

- Enable children to succeed by presenting experiences in small achievable chunks
 

- Activities are planned from regular observations and are age and stage appropriate

 

 

An example of the types of activities at Forest School?

 

- Making a forest friend and creating a woodland pet
 

- Building a house for a fairy or woodland creature
 

- Mud play
 

- Concoct potions!
 

- Natural pictures on canvas

 

Clothes required for your child to participate

 

We will take children out in most weather conditions unless we deem it to be unsafe like very high winds, so the right clothing is essential for your child’s enjoyment. As we get muddy and dirty, Pre-school provide all weather all-in-one waterproof suits, and we ask parents to provide suitable clothing as listed below.

 

- Wellington boots–clearly named

 

- Long trousers and long sleeved top

 

- Plenty of warm layers of clothing

 

- Spare set of clothing

 

- Waterproof outdoor coat

 

- Gloves and hats in colder weather

 

- sun hats and apply sun cream prior to attending session on warmer sunnier days.

 

Health and safety and Risk

 

We have carried out comprehensive “Risk assessments” for our Forest School programme including the environment and activities children can experience, and you are invited to read them prior to your child starting the Forest School programme, along with the Forest School hand book.
 

The Forest School Leader, Naomi and Forest School Assistant, Sarah, have attended FS training and hold current First Aid certificates.
 

We have a high adult:child ratio to support and supervise the children.
 

We have clear boundaries and behaviour expectations at Forest School to keep the children safe, without removing acceptable risks that can have a positive impact on the children’s development.  

© 2020 Ugborough and Bittaford Pre-School. Registered Charity Number: 1043499

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