Mama Beech

Well, the British weather has done it again. It's waited until the school summer holidays ended before blooming into a heatwave!  It's been a challenging return to timetable. The heat hasn't entirely been through direct sunshine, most mornings have been misty and ethereal, and the afternoons hazy, but the humidity... Ugh! Even beneath the trees there has been little respite, and when the sun does break through, the temperature inches up a few degrees more! When I first started working in Kent I was surprised how few of the children experienced their local environment away from school. We're based in a semi rural area and are surrounded by farmland. There are sheep at the bottom of the street, fields all around, woodland nearby, and a river coursing through. Like Scilly children, our pupils have access to hedgerows and trees, grasses and crops, rivers and (a bus ride away) the sea. But not as many of them explore it. The safety of the Scilly Isles lies in its community. ...

This year Summer has been varied weather-wise, the UK has had 4 seasons in 3 months with mini heatwaves, frost, storms, rain, and hosepipe bans! The Scilly Isles were no exception, and the fortnight that covered Forest School managed sunburn and horizontal rain! However the islands remain beautiful, and the children continue to enjoy a childhood that most no longer have the chance to! The islands are small, only 2300 inhabitants, which must triple when tourists arrive! About 200,000 people visit each year,and the vast majority of those will choose the summer months. However, thus small community means everybody knows everybody else. Children are definitely raised by 'the village', and while nowhere is 100% safe, the Isles are as safe as you are likely to get. Children are pretty much free range. The Scilly Isle is made upmof 140 'island' at low tide, some are home to wildlife, some are large rock formations, five are inhabited islands, with a few more housing a few isol...