At Catherington we believe that outdoor forest school is a core element of a child's development alongside academic, social and creative success.  Forest school encourages the development of children’s emotional and physical development through outdoor play, activities and exploration in a woodland environment.

We aim to deliver forest school sessions all year round to each of our three classes on our school field which is home to a variety of trees. Sessions are run with a ‘leave no trace’ policy ensuring we leave the environment as we find it.

Forest school sessions take place on the same site during the year so that children can observe seasonal changes in plants and trees and develop a deep level understanding of the same animal habitats and woodland ecosystem.

Children are encouraged to lead their own learning journey. The Forest School Leader acts as a facilitator, sparking play, providing gentle guidance, and observing how children interact with the environment.

Children develop an understanding and Respect for wildlife, plants and the ecosystem. They develop an understanding of sustainability and conservation, improving their attitudes towards the environment. We hope this will develop a lifelong passion and Love for the natural world.

Sessions aim to provide children with time and space to follow their own lines of enquiry in a truly natural environment. Sessions are fun and children are given ample opportunities to play.

Children develop independence skills, taking responsibility for packing away their equipment and making their own resourcing choices.

Children learn how to manage risks and problem solve.  The sessions aim to build confidence and resilience as children are encouraged not to give up, be Courageous and to find solutions to problems themselves.

We offer children experiences in a wooded environment where they can learn through their heads, hearts and hands developing their own Spirituality and embedding our Christian values of Love, Respect and Courage.

What is forest school?

Forest school is a child-centred learning process  which takes place in a natural environment over an extended period of time. It supports children’s ability to play, explore and take risks in a safe and supportive environment. It provides hands on experiences inspired by the children.

Why we run forest school?

To develop a child’s self esteem and confidence.

To give children the opportunity to play and make their own learning .

To develop physical stamina and gross and fine motor skills  through hands on learning

To develop resilience and the ability to problem solve  independently.

To learn new skills

To develop positive relationships with each other and the world around them.

To develop a keenness to participate and the ability to concentrate over longer periods of time

To help children to gain an increased awareness of the consequences of their actions on peers through team activities such as sharing tools and participating in play

 How we run forest school?

Forest school runs weekly with different groups of children. We use our school field which has an area at the bottom where there is a collection of trees. The forest school leader supports the children to explore the environment and make their own choices about what they would like to do.  Sometimes we may light a small, controlled fire where children can have hot drinks and food. The children learn how to use tools safely to  complete a range of  activities.

On your childs forest school day they can come into school wearing their own clothes. Sessions run for around 90 minutes.

Forest school timetable 

Year R- Every other Tuesday all year

Year 1- Autumn 1, Spring 1, Summer 1- Every other week

Year 2- Autumn 2, Spring 2, Summer 2- Every other week