Forest Schools

Forest School Lead: Mrs Reynolds

 What Are Forest Schools?

“A Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning.”

 Our school activities take place in and around the school.  Forest school embraces being outdoors whatever the weather enabling children to learn in a natural environment all year round. School provides full length waterproofs for each child.

We have recently acquired part of the woodland from the local council adjacent to our school.  We have lots of plans to develop this lovely woodland space to enhance our pupil's learning whilst they are at our school.

Lots of exciting activities include:

• using tools
• making dens
• following and making trails
• environmental art
• mud sculptures
• cooking our own food over an open fire. 

Throughout the year your child will be visiting our woodland area soon to do Forest School activities with their class. The class teacher will remind you of dates via MarvellousMe nearer the time of when your child’s session is taking place.

 The sessions will take place as follows:

See the letter below or click here to download and print your own copy.

Just a little gift from me to thank Mr Ball for all his kindness and hard work.

So do you ever wonder how we carry all the equipment out of the woods? Click the video below to see how ! 

After the long Summer break, Mrs Reynolds and Mr Ball worked hard to get the woodland looking suitable ready  for the children to play and explore. 

Thanks to the amazing Mr Ball for making this forest nature table for the children to enjoy.

Children In Need

Look at Pudsey made with all natural materials. 
Can you identify any of them ? 

Our Woodland is all ready and waiting for our children to enjoy and explore.

The trees and wildlife are so excited for you to join them. 

Thank you to Mr P Scott for your generous donation. We are all so grateful. 

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Everyone across the UK is being invited to plant trees from October 2021, when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022. 

Mrs Reynolds donated a Silver Birch tree for Jubilee.. Hopefully if we look after it well, it will flourish and grow amongst the rest of the  trees on  our school field. 

Why not  use your pumpkin  as bird feeders once  you’ve finished with them . The birds and wildlife would really enjoy it.

Can you spot Mrs Scarecrow ?
Or is  that Mrs Reynolds ?

Look at all the beautiful autumnal colours on those pumpkins ! 
The squirrels will be excited to eat those when the weather gets colder..

International Mud Day - on our school field

There is a simple reason why mud was part is part of our sessions- we believe that it's o.k to get dirty. Digging, squishing, squelching mud in between our fingers and throwing mud pies at a target were to name but a few activities we explored today. 

What with all the rain, why not watch the video clip below that I put together on how to make a water butt.
Saving water is a great way to help look after our planet ! 

BE CAREFUL 

Press here to see an alternative word poster 

Try  it ....it works!

Watch the video below to see me  experiencing  a zip wire at Woodland Nuture Forest School Site where I spent  the whole day learning  how to  support Neurodiversity and challenging behaviour outdoors. (See flyer above).Obviously this was my lunch break where we had time to play and explore . 
Mrs Reynolds 
Have you ever been on a zip wire?  How did it make you feel?
Would you ever like to go ride on a zip wire?  

Forest School had to be cancelled due to the thunder and lightning  but ... as soon as the weather became safe again squirrel class couldn't wait to be forest  explorers! 

Click here to watch the children singing 'In the Forest I have found' around the fire circle

Bees play a crucial role in increasing crop yields and promoting food security and nutrition.

Without them, we could lose a wide variety of food, such as potatoes, pepper, coffee, pumpkins, carrots, apples, almonds, and tomatoes, just to name a few.

In short, without bees, the FAO cannot achieve a world without hunger. World Bee Day recognises the importance of these tiny helpers and will increase awareness of the need to protect them.”

https://muddyfaces.co.uk/activities/whats-new/make-a-simple-bee-hotel 

Click on the link to make a bee hotel.

The sun shone down on us today for our first post lockdown visit. We were so lucky to hear the birds singing and spending time outdoors with our friends. After listening to the story ‘The Egg Hunt’ we hid our Easter stones that we had made and then walked around the woodland to see how many we could find. It was lovely to see the woods back to life and full of children’s happy faces:) Thank you Squirrel Class. You were a pleasure to bring into the woods today.
Mrs Reynolds 

During Lockdown restrictions Mrs Hitchen offered to help me clear the woods as it was so overgrown and  wild!!!  After a lot of hard work we managed to make some kind of pathway ready for the children . Watch the clips below to see the improvement,

Have a look at our Forest School..................

 Councillor Alan Rhodes came to visit us - the children thoroughly enjoyed his company in the woodland 

A few pictures of when Forest School first began.

Forest Schools Presentation to Parents

Click HERE for the presentation