Mama Beech

November is a month I have an uneasy relationship with. As we await it's dawning I realise the thought of it hits harder than the actual month! Over the years I've lost too many people in November so it holds a few poignant anniversaries. My lovely Dad, who fostered my love of nature, had his birthday mid-month, which makes it bittersweet since we lost him, and some of my biggest life changes dawned in one November or another! Now, I don't view these changes as a bad thing, but they were each a time of life upheaval - even if the choices made were so much for the better! Adjustment takes time, well for me at least! So I always eye up the arrival of the 11th month with a little trepidation... what will it bring this time round?! One of the more significant alterations November brought to my life was Chartham Primary School. I officially started working there in November 2019, which feels like yesterday and a  lifetime ago in equal measure! This Primary School on the edges of...

Forest School comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In the way that schools can have varying facilities, equipment, departments, grounds, class sizes, staffing, and buildings, basecamp can be centred at the heart of all sorts of Forest Schools. We have 3 sites on our school grounds. Each lends itself to different aspects of Forest School.  The Wildlife Garden has old and new trees, a large pond, and space for planting to attract all kinds of British Wildlife. There's a hidden mud kitchen and a 'secret' woodland and space for activities to take place. Under the Trees is amongst a mature woodland strip, where there are plenty of boughs strong enough to hold up swings and tyres. Their trunks support slack lines and provide space to climb. We have old bricks and a long mud kitchen to explore. The Copse is a cluster of trees that hides basecamp beautifully. There are a few child-designed structures around it and access to a long strip of woodland. It has swings, den spaces, tr...