Mama Beech

It's really hard to concisely explain the benefits of Forest School because there is no short answer.  We see children engage in a way they may not in the classroom. We watch their confidence and self-esteem blossom. We help them learn to risk assess and take responsibility for their own safety. We foster their curiosity, help them find information, and follow their interests. We see them adapt, grow, learn, investigate, explore, and develop a positive attitude to learning... We see it IN Forest School every week. However, monitoring it, proving it, and even the opportunity to find out if it transfers into the classroom, is difficult. The lack of a Forest School Curriculum is its strength, but in a world of data collecting the holistic,  cooperative process between the adults and the children can struggle to prove itself on paper. Observation, reflection and communication are common in the EYFS, but even then are set against specific outcomes. The unique development of each ch...

I know that for many Forest School Leaders there is pressure to provide a Lesson Plan or Learning Intention for every session, especially so when you are school-based. Some FSLs are expected to deliver parts of the curriculum during sessions and others are seen as an extension to PE Provision. Once upon a time schools chose to have Forest School provision based on its ethos and proven pedagogy, some choosing to solely aim at the children who in theory would benefit most, others used it in termly blocks for specific year groups, many embedded it into their EYFS. Early Years has the most flexible curriculum and timetable it seems. Over time Forest School has evolved differently in every setting. I'm always pointing out that the space, environment, time allocated, staffing, personal skills, and equipment we have alters how we as individuals practice. How I deliver Forest School at Chartham with 9 acres of land to choose from, and to all year groups, is not how I previously ran session...

Here we are. September. The new school year no longer feels new, Mama beech has met all the classes from last year, a little taller, a little more mature (both the tree and the children). The meadows are channelling 'The Triffid' vibes, the brambles are out to trip as many people as they can, and the stinging nettles menacingly look DOWN on us all... So everything is currently perfectly normal for the start of term!  Many Forest Schools have been open all summer, but for us, there was a six-week break. I'd like to say it was a calm and recuperating time, but personally, I moved home, so it was ridiculously busy and has yet to ease! But that is a novel in itself. Of course, many Forest Schools have been open all summer, for them, I hope the lifting of restrictions in July allowed a busy season of sessions. Some schools have started venturing into Forest School for the first time, others are embracing Outdoor Learning and altering their planning to make more possible. With re...