Forest Schools

Forest Schools are fun!

It is educational whilst also allowing children to play, explore and discover.  Children who participate in Forest Schools are generally observed to be happier. The fresh air, the excitement, getting mucky – it doesn’t get child friendlier than that. The St Mary’s Forest School takes learning outdoors for a small part of the day. This may involve exploring the school grounds as a group and collecting treasures, building a den or simply taking the lessons outdoors away from the classroom. We have the major advantage of space in our school with the all important trees that really assist with our forest school activities.

We believe that the Forest School helps children to grow in confidence as a result of the freedom, time and space they are given in their learning. This allows them to demonstrate independence whilst also improving their social skills with activities such as sharing tools and participating in play which help teach the children to work together as a group, strengthening their bonds and social ties with fellow student that they may not normally interact with.

The increase in outdoor activity is bound to have a positive physical impact. Not only does the development of physical stamina improve but also gross and fine motor skills.

When children really engage with Forest Schools they develop an interest in the great outdoors and respect for the environment. They will take their experiences home to share with friends and family.

This will often encourage families to visit their local woodlands more frequently. Spending time in the woodland is exciting for a child. Encouraging children to develop a relationship with the natural world will help in protecting the environment for generations to come.