Forest School
At King’s we believe that enabling children to have fun while learning is not just desirable but essential. One of the ways we achieve this is by giving all Junior School pupils the opportunity to explore the natural world beyond the classroom through Forest School.
By linking children to the world around them using a range of exciting outdoor activities, Forest School reinforces what they learn in the classroom. Teachers take on a facilitator role, giving pupils the freedom to lead their own activities. This enables them to develop their imagination, decision-making skills and self-confidence.
Typical curriculum-linked activities include:
Physical development - walking/running, digging, climbing trees, hanging from branches, threading leaf kebabs, carrying equipment
Maths - counting leaves/bugs, measuring twigs longer than your arm/shorter than your finger, weighing heavier/lighter than the stone, finding shapes
Literacy - listening skills “123 where are you?”, lovely descriptive language “The mud is sticky, squelchy”
Knowledge and understanding of the world - mixing materials, mud soup, petal perfume, caring for the natural environment, watching for changes
Creativity, using their own imagination and creating their own resources – stick spoon, driftwood boat, wooden log see-saw, rope swing, natural pictures
Personal, social and emotional development - adhere to rules and boundaries, help one another, have a go
Located in the beautiful Cotswolds, we are fortunate in having an array of marvellous outdoor environments on our doorstep. Weekly Forest School trips set off for sites such as Crickley Hill Country Park or the Forest of Dean. We also have our very own pond and secret garden, hidden away in the School grounds and ideal for younger pupils.
Of course, spending time outdoors in Britain often means getting wet and muddy and we make sure pupils are well-prepared to experience and enjoy the wonders of our weather. Full sets of school waterproofs keep out the rain (and minimise the amount of mud children take home), and every child keeps a set of wellington boots at School to reduce the peril of wet socks.
