First Time

How did we reach Term 4?

That's half the school year gone. Winter break seems ages ago yet this still feels like the 'new' academic year! Summer will be here before we know it!

However, there is a lot to get through before that happens!

This week a school on the other side of Canterbury started a few taster sessions to see how their children respond to the Forest School experience. We're beginning with half classes from Year 2 and hoping to end the Term with full classes. The aim is to see how well this works for them, and the potential is Forest School up and running on their own grounds. It's exciting to think that Forest School will be spreading a little further!

The children have been amazing. They don't know me at all, they're not used to sessions, and they have to put up with a minibus to trip reach us. But they have embraced the rules, and the ethos and are eager for another visit.

It's been a while since I had a basecamp full of newbies! When I started at Chartham only some of KS2 already did sessions but the pandemic meant we switched to 16 'bubble' classes every week very quickly! It was a baptism of fire for me and full immersion for the children! From Reception Class up to Year 6 suddenly every class had weekly Forest School!

We continued this as we transitioned into what is now 'the norm', that initial Reception class are now in KS2! We have a new intake each year so EYFS learn the absolute basics and we build from there, the rest are 'old hands'. On Monday I had fifteen 6 & 7-Year-Olds who were ready and eager to explore - and none of them had had regular sessions before.

The children arrived and sat at basecamp and listened well. There aren't hundreds of rules, but the ones we do have are there to keep us safe. I didn't want to overwhelm them with lots to remember, so we began by exploring close to basecamp with the founding ethos of not picking foliage or damaging the area and being kind to each other. We got to know the digging area - which was full of animal tracks from half term! Next door's cat paws, the path Mr. Fox trod, the weaving of birds of all sizes, and the tiny prints from the squirrels - all garnered attention!

The Mud Kitchen soon had a chef, a sous chef, and several kitchen hands! The slackline was doing its best to bounce children off, and the 'secret tunnel' and several den-like clearings were fully explored!

Basecamp was bereft of children - just the way I like it! Every child off following their own interests, independently building on their curiosity, self-esteem, collaboration, observation, and enjoyment.

Because this was their first-ever session I called everyone back to basecamp after 40 minutes. Firstly to check on recall, secondly to have a snack, and thirdly to take them all to the extended part of Forest School as a group. We went over safe climbing rules and those who had never climbed a tree before headed into our low, broad Sycamore that everyone at Chartham learns on! We looked at branch sizes and felt their circumference. We learned where the strongest part of a branch is and how they rebound when you move! Those who were more confident and competent found trees they wanted to climb. They used their eyes and judgement to move up and down safely while watching out for others.

Soon they spread out across the entire site, chefs, engineers, diggers, climbers, balancers, and explorers, smiling, squealing, skipping, and investigating.

When it was time to sit back together before heading back to their own school, they did each have their own favourite thing from thing morning. The chefs had loved the Mud Kitchen, making brownies and 'getting muddy!'. A few rosy-cheeked children had enjoyed the Dig Pit, and a couple had spent a lot of time spinning and swinging on hanging tyres. Climbing trees had been a big hit, but so had looking for, listening to, and spotting birds. Someone had liked looking for bugs, and two couldn't make up their mind and liked 'everything!'

From my perspective, fifteen children who didn't know me listened well, followed advice and rules, cooperated, and participated. They demonstrated teamwork, a growing understanding of their environment, care for themselves and each other, and an ability to communicate effectively.

These are just taster sessions. Two classes in groups of 15 across 4 weeks, then two full class sessions to end the Term.

Every group will react differently, and each session will be slightly different as the weather, temperature, and participants alter each week.
But this was a very good start.

I know I am biased, but Forest School is a brilliant and effective way to support wellbeing, physical development, and mental health while promoting physical fitness, challenge, critical thinking, and enjoyment.

I cannot stress enough how worthwhile it is for schools to explore this avenue, whether it's a brief enrichment course delivered to pupils elsewhere or bought in with a visiting expert, or invested in by training staff and setting it up at school to be available to all, all the time!

Let's hope it's just the start for this school.

I hope another Outdoor Learning Journey has begun!