We are exceptionally lucky to have an amazing learning environment at South Street. Our sensational grounds include a well-established forest with a den building provision and a fire pit. We also have an onsite ‘wild strip’ containing a variety of plants and trees as well as a pond. These features help to support the children’s understanding of the environment whilst developing their outdoor skills. The Forest School provides a hands-on, practical education in our outdoor environment. This part of the curriculum is managed by a qualified Forest School Leader – Miss Smith. Mr Jones contributes to the development, maintenance and safety of the school grounds, regularly using his skills as a qualified landscape gardener to enhance the ‘Deckham Den’.

The Forest Education Community has put together the following guiding principles for Forest Schools. These principles were agreed to ensure good practice across the country.

• Forest School is a long-term process of regular sessions, rather than a ‘one-off’ (or infrequent visits). The cycle of planning, observation, adaptation and review links each session.
• It takes place in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.
• It uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning.
• Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
• The ethos behind this learning is on short, achievable tasks which then build in complexity based on observations of the children’s needs and interests.
• Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.

We want our Forest School to flourish so that we can help to develop the children’s practical life skills as well as their growing understanding of the immediate environment. In doing so, we will always maintain the highest levels of safety.  We want the children to embrace a sense of growing independence; have the confidence to solve problems and the drive to complete tasks to the best of their ability. As they become more courageous and self-reliant, the children will in turn understand how to sensibly risk assess situations and seize upon opportunities presented to them. Time and again, Forest School sessions have been observed to boost our children’s self-esteem and self-confidence. The children in our school thrive emotionally and socially during forest learning. There is an extraordinary amount of fun to be had in the whole process too!