FOREST SCHOOL

Children from St George's Nursery, Clun spend lots of happy mornings in the woods over the year, making dens, climbing trees and playing games as part of Shropshire's Forest School Pilot Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery funded Blue Remembered Hills project.

The aim is to equip young children with an education that encourages them to appreciate the natural world. Through a series of visits to the wood, pre-school children are given the chance to grow in independence and, by working through small tasks in a stimulating environment, are able to build self-esteem and develop social skills.

The group of 3-5 year olds visit the idyllic woods on the Walcot estate by kind permission of its owners. Accompanied by their teachers and trained Forest School leaders, every activity is carefully developed with a strong emphasis on safety. A wooden roundhouse has been built by leaders and children and now provides a space where everyone can gather round for circle time. story telling and power snacks (baked by an army of Mums and Dads!).

Forest Schools at Walcot has been put together so that slowly over the weeks we develop skills and competencies. At the end of our first six weeks the children had learnt enough to celebrate safely around a campfire they had helped build. Toasting marshmallows independently in an al fresco feast marked the end of an exciting six weeks of discovery.

Evaluations with parents and pre-school staff suggest this really is a powerful way of working with very young children, learning in an environment that excites and challenges them.

• Click here for the Blue Remembered Hills SDF Forest School - Spring 2006
  (pdf file 140kb)
  
• Click here for the Forest School Self Appraisal - Autumn Term 2005
  (pdf file 500kb)
  
• Click here for the Forest School Pilot Project Evaluation 2003.
  (pdf file 116kb)