Year 5 have had the most amazing forest school sessions. Learning to whittle, light fires, building dens, playing in the mud and rain water making interesting concoctions, including charcoal infused face masks, then painting them on each others faces, and making clay models. They are truly in charge of their own learning and taking the experience on their own individual journey, This is one of the great features of what Forest School aims to achieve. 

We found these amazing foot prints in the mud, I made an identification sheet that the children loved to use. We saw different prints each week.

Children have become leaders and shared their skills. As Zahra became the queen o f lighting fires she took over showing others how to do it. Leila brought in a willow fish she had made and so we chopped down some willow and she taught others how to make them. As you can also see Seb became king of whittling. 

These girls took their whittling skills very seriously as we all sat to make our own walking sticks, we persevered, sanded them to a smooth finish and added a hole and threaded string through to use as a strap. Cool!!!

A few of Darcie's dramatic shots. Stunning poses!!!

Pupil's comments

• "It is an opportunity to have fun outside but you are also learning new skills."
• "I get to choose what I do and when I do it."
• "You get to have fun in nature."
• "We can be outside and be creative."
• "The activities are exciting and can be challenging."
• "You get to take home what you have made."
• "Freedom from having to follow a timetable."
• "Making things out of nature you thought you never could."

Parents Comments.

• Forest School has made a huge, positive difference to the learning experience for all my three children."
• "Moving whilst learning is important for my child and is a hugely helpful and calming time."
• "It develops confidence and independence, learning new skills."
• "It allows my child to self lead and see where her own learning can develop rather than being told what to do."
• "It is a relaxed style of learning without being in a formal, academic classroom."
• "My child has developed an interest in whittling and wants to continue this at home."
• "It is very interactive and engaging."
• "It is always something he looks forward to and talks about at home."