All Forest School
Forest School Schedule - Autumn 1 (9th September - 14th October)
Pre-school - Friday afternoon each week.
Reception - Friday morning both classes each week (starting on 23rd September).
Year 1 - Wednesday morning (both classes each week).
Year 4 - Thursday afternoon (each class alternate weeks).
Year 5 - Thursday morning (both classes each week).
Forest School
At Biggin Hill Primary School we are lucky to have a dedicated Forest School woodland space within our extensive and mature grounds. Children from nursery to year 6 all enjoy engaging in our fun forest school sessions.
Forest School sessions allow children to engage in hands-on experiences, develop self-esteem and confidence whilst enjoying our natural environment and developing a love for the great outdoors.
Forest School sessions allow children to engage in hands-on experiences, develop self-esteem and confidence whilst enjoying our natural environment and developing a love for the great outdoors.
Activities
Children have opportunities to enjoy woodland activities and take supervised risks, such as campfire building, making dens and camps, carving and cooking on open fires. We have even made halloumi kebabs, melted marshmallows and enjoyed hot chocolate! Children also enjoy well planned activities, such as leaf printing, tree rubbings, woodland magic wand making and many, many more. We use our time in Forest School to enjoy the local wildlife and can often be seen listening to birds singing and chirping as well as bug hunting and insect spotting! Of course, we must not forget the freedom to just be outside, reconnect with nature and splash in muddy puddles!
Principles
Children from nursery to year 6 all enjoy engaging and fun forest school sessions, which are delivered around the main principles and ethos of forest school below:
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Forest School is a long-term process of regular sessions, rather than one-off or infrequent visits.
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Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a lifelong relationship between the learner and the natural world.
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Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for being, development and learning.
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Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
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Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
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Forest School is run by our qualified Forest School practitioner, who continuously maintains and develops their professional practice.
Within school, we have recently developed a Forest School room where children have a safety briefing prior to going to their session and a plenary at the end to consolidate their learning. This room is also used for children to get changed into their forest school kit.
It is a pleasure to manage Forest School at Biggin Hill Primary School and always such a joy to see the children embrace their sessions.
We are very proud to be in our fourth year of running a very successful Forest School.
Mrs Greenslade, Forest School Lead
"The addition of Forest School to our Wider Curriculum has been extremely beneficial for our pupils' development and a marvellous opportunity for them to approach their learning in a new and exciting way. Working outdoors, where they face different challenges every day, helps to develop their confidence, problem solving skills, emotional well-being and self-belief. Forest School is a fantastic way of seeing the children in an alternative setting and allowing the, to have creative freedom."
Catherine Sharrock, Curriculum Lead, Biggin Hill Primary School
