Forest School

Old Park decided to enhance the school site and to develop a Forest School along with ‘Learning Outside the Classroom’ sessions and activities to further enhance the national curriculum. The field area has been dedicated to the Forest School allowing the children to develop a lifelong understanding of our wonderful natural environment and to establish the fundamental core purposes of the Forest School ethos. This will be achieved by children developing confidence, a sense of self-esteem and important social skills. Groups of children will take part in carefully planned activities; these will be in blocks of 6 – 8 Forest School sessions.

The philosophy which underpins the Forest School is to enable children and/or individuals to grow in confidence, independence and to build self-esteem. This can be achieved by holding carefully planned weekly sessions, completing small but achievable tasks in a natural woodland environment; they will acquire new skills at a pace that is suitable to them-selves so that the activities will maintain a degree of challenge and excitement whilst remaining in a safe and controlled location.

Our Forest school Leader (David Ellis) is a member of the Forest School Association and has adopted the Values written by the FSA members

  • Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural wooded environment to support the development of a relationship between learners and the natural world
  • Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and themselves
  • Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved’ fostering resilient, confident, independent & creative learners
  • Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously develop their professional practise
  • Forest School uses a range of learner centred processes to create a community for development and learning
  • Forest School is a long term process with frequent and regular sessions in a local natural space, not a one off visit. Planning, adaption, observations and reviewing are integral

Forest School at Old Park