Forest School

Forest School is a hands-on, child led, holistic approach to learning.

Our vision for Forest school at The Horsell Village School is that through the provision of regular access to forest school sessions run by fully trained Forest School Practitioners we aim to provide a safe, healthy and stimulating forest school experience for all our children.  Our goal is to help open children’s eyes to the wonders (great and small) that can be found and to give children the opportunities to explore and learn through their own processes.

The Forest School practitioners are here to be on tap to help the children with their play rather than on top where we dictate their play and how long it lasts.

Forest School encourages emotional growth, self-esteem, confidence and independence. Children are encouraged and supported to take appropriate risks while developing trust in themselves and others. They will apply their classroom learning in problem solving activities and use their imagination in a highly motivating environment with enthusiastic adult supervision.

Each year, the children have access to a 6-week program. Forest school has many benefits, these include:

1. Communication – a child learns to express their own needs and choices and to listen and understand others.
2. Personal and Social Development – they learn to build relationships with others and gain a positive self-esteem.
3. Health and Wellbeing – Understanding their own mind and body and the importance of looking after their body through a healthy lifestyle
4. Vocational Learning – Their knowledge and skills gained will be used in future years through education and onto their working life.
5. Creative Development – Not only about being creative but to be able to discuss their thoughts and feelings openly.
6. Sensory Development – Providing understanding of the environment that the child lives in and an idea of the world around them
7. Functional development – Providing everyday life skills of numeracy, literacy and ICT