Forest School is an inspirational process that offers children and young people opportunities to achieve, develop confidence and self-esteem, through hands-on learning experiences in a local woodland environment." Forest School (England) Network.
The thinking behind Forest Schools originates from Scandinavia, where outdoor living and learning is part of everyday life and there is a strong belief that nature and movement are essential to a child's overall development and well-being.
The Forest School philosophy is based upon the desire to provide young children with an education which encourages appreciation for the wider natural world and which encourages responsibility for nature conservation in later life.
At Redhill, Forest School sessions take place on our dedicated Forest School site. They are an opportunity to learn about and appreciate the natural environment, how to handle risks and, importantly, they encourage children to use their own initiative to solve problems and cooperate with others.
A typical Forest School programme for KS2 children runs for six two-hour sessions and includes such activities as den building, natural art and craft, and fire-lighting and campfire cooking. Each session also has time included for child-initiated activity during which imaginative play is encouraged.