Our Intent

At our school, we want to make sure everyone lives life to the fullest, just like the idea in John 10:10. We're focused on not only helping students do well in their studies but also in helping them grow as people. Our goal is to create a lively community where everyone can enjoy life and reach their full potential. One way we work towards this is by running our own Forest School within the school grounds. Each year group has the opportunity to have several sessions throughout the school year. We hold our sessions in our forest school and wildlife areas adjacent to the school field. This area will be further developed with the environment in mind over the next few years and the children will be involved in this and start to take ownership of it themselves.

Forest school is run by Mr Parker, who is a qualified forest school practitioner and is assisted by Mrs Parker and Holbrook staff and adult helpers. Week by week we venture into the outdoors where we enjoy many activities which give the children the opportunity to learn, play, explore and discover at their own pace, with the support of the Forest School team.

Activities include:

• Shelter building

• Mini beast hunting

• Creating natural habitats

• Learning about and how to look after our environment

• Using knots and lashings

• Using tools to create decorations, musical instruments etc

• Natural art

• Fire making and cooking on the fire

Forest School can offer so many benefits to our children and amongst many things it can help to:

• Increase their self-belief

• Improve their learning capacity

• Develop their problem-solving skills

• Understand the importance of working as a team

• Develop their communication

• Improve their emotional, mental and physical wellbeing

• Develop their social skills

• Increases positivity and motivation

• Improves knowledge and understanding

• Helps build resilience

• Enables children to find their own strengths in a different environment

• Discover their creativity and use their imagination

• Helps them to embrace responsibility and ownership

Safety at Forest School is of utmost importance and there is always a high adult to child ratio during our sessions. Mr Parker has over 17 years of working with children both within school and the outdoors environment. All our activities are thoroughly risk assessed before the start of each session and the leader and adults monitor the safety of the group as the activities progress. Mr Parker is paediatric and outdoor first aid trained along with our paediatric first aid trained staff. We endeavour not to cancel any sessions, unless the weather proves dangerous.

The sessions take place outside whatever the weather. There is shelter from the elements, but it is important to wear clothes that are waterproof and warm, particularly in winter. Children do get muddy! The children wear their school uniform, with a few adaptations:

• A waterproof coat

• Wellington boots (or sturdy walking boots, or an old pair of sensible shoes)

• Comfortable long trousers – school trousers or joggers in school colours

• School top with jumper or cardigan

• Thick socks or two pairs (particularly in winter).

• Gloves, hat (sun hat in summer)

Optional: waterproof trouser