A member of Dales Academies Trust What is Forest School?
Forest School’s holistic approach encourages children to learn in a natural environment which is not only inspiring but also very calming. It nurtures their self esteem whilst also teaching resilience and risk taking. It enhances the children’s communication skills and ability to work as a team. Forest school equips children with a love and respect for the outdoors. Through attending sessions at Forest school, the children at Oakbridge will have their self confidence and resilience boosted which will in turn, create happy, healthy motivated learners.
In this technology dominated age children are sadly losing touch with nature and it is a harrowing fact that children are now spending less time outside being active in nature. Our Forest school aims to help reconnect the children with nature and be more active both in body and mind.
We believe that our Forest School provides an added ‘action-packed’ spice to the curriculum we offer at Oakbridge. It provides real life opportunities and creates independent learners.
Intent
At Oakbridge, we value the importance of outdoor learning. We believe that spending time outdoors is as important for children’s development as learning to read and write. Within our school curriculum we teach lessons with an outdoor focus so that children have hands on experiences through which they develop their understanding and application of our school values and vision, ‘with love and compassion, we nurture kind children who care deeply. Rooted in our community and valuing God’s world, we share a responsibility to the world around us. Everything is possible through our courage and determination to learn and achieve excellence together.’
All outdoor learning is planned around the curriculum currently being studied, which gives depth, enrichment and an outdoor perspective for our children. We want children to have the
opportunity to be able to explore and learn outside throughout the year, experiencing the seasons and changing nature around them. Outdoors is the key to improving children’s health, wellbeing and happiness.
The primary aims of this curriculum will be:
• To build self-esteem and confidence in children.
• To encourage collaboration.
• To build resilient, determined and independent learners
• To develop children’s personal, social and emotional development.
• To develop and encourage creativity
• To develop and build the ideas of risk management and risk benefit
• To improve children’s life skills and experiences
• To enable children to gain a respect for the natural environment and wildlife.
• To transfer negative behaviours into positive ones.
• To let children be children
We will ensure every child has the right to relax, play and experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development. Children will develop life skills in readiness for Secondary school and the wider world
Forest School Leaders
Our Forest School sessions will be run by Outdoor Adventures Forest School who are a company based in Ripon. They are widely known for their child-centred, hands on learning process that supports holistic development in a natural environment.
Every day is an adventure.
Forest School sessions are wild adventures that give children the opportunity to use age appropriate tools, toast marshmallows on an open fire, build dens, plant seeds, hunt for bugs and care not only for each other but the natural world around them.