Forest School

Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning that provides engaging, motivating and achievable tasks and activities for children in an outdoor environment. British Forest Schools have been developed and adapted from the original concept that was implemented in Sweden in the 1950’s.

The aim of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire children of any age to learn and achieve their full potential through positive outdoor experiences. The combination of the use of the outdoor environment and the Forest School philosophy that all learning is child led provides unique learning opportunities that encourage and accommodate individual learning styles. This approach, we believe, allows every child to ‘have a voice’, especially those who find it difficult to communicate within the conventional learning environment.

In Forest School children will have the opportunity to learn about the natural environment, how to handle risks, how to use their own initiative to solve problems, co-operate with others, develop their social skills, grow in confidence and become self motivated. The outcome of these developments is that these skills are then transferred to other areas of the learner’s life enabling them to achieve their full potential. The activities will support other work from across the curriculum.

Forest Schools aim to develop:

  • Independence
  • Communication skills
  • Empathy
  • Self Awareness
  • Self Regulation
  • Intrinsic motivation
  • Decision making
  • Problem solving
  • Teamwork
  • Imagination
  • Understanding & appreciation of the outdoors environment

Every Friday afternoon the children in Reception take part in a forest school session. Miss Surman is our qualified Forest School Leader and she runs these sessions each week.  Forest School takes place on our school field.

In preparation for their forest school session, children in Reception can come to school in their outdoor clothes all day on a Friday to avoid having to change.  They need to wear warm, suitable clothing which is suitable for getting dirty and they also need to bring in a pair of wellies.  Waterproofs are a good idea if they have them, although we can supply them if needed.

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Ashchurch Primary School
Ashchurch Road,
Tewkesbury,
Gloucestershire
GL20 8LA

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Administrator | Claire Vignaux

01684292376

[email protected]

Headteacher | Richard Gibson

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SENDCo | Emma Bushell

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ABOUT US

Ashchurch Primary School is committed to providing the very best possible education for all of its pupils within a stimulating, happy and secure environment.