Forest School
Sir David Attenborough famously said:
If children grow up not knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it, and if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it, and if they don’t protect it, who will?
Forest School at Burrington
“Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.” The Forest School Association
At Burrington we are fully committed to offering learning in the outdoor environment. We want children to leave our care with a lifelong love and wonder of the natural world and as healthy, resilient, independent and creative learners in line with our school vision.
What happens at Forest School?
Forest School allows our children to be a part of a variety of outdoor activities and encourages them to learn about the natural environment as well as developing key social and emotional skills. Some of the activities the children will experience during their forest school experience include:
- den building
- use and practice of a variety of knots
- safe use of fire lighting and cooking
- identification of plants and animals
- exploration of the natural world
- how to look after the natural world
- using resources sustainably
- safe use of tools
- different seasons/what happens in each season
- developing key social and emotional skills
- local traditional events eg Harvest and Wassailing
- working with natural resources to craft and create art
- taking risks in a safe way
- building relationships/supporting each other
- achieving manageable tasks individually and in a group
Our Forest School Rules
Our Forest School Rules are based on our Burrington High 5 for behaviour.....
Ready – bringing and wearing the correct clothes, listening to others by looking.
Respectful – of each other, natural world and equipment.
Resilient – when things are a bit tricky
Kind – to each other and to the animals and plants in the natural world. Using ‘kind hands’ and ‘kind words’
Safe – Sticks no longer than an arm’s length, listening ears, following the rules of tool use and fires.
‘No lick, no pick’
‘Leave no Trace’
Leave the fire circle from behind your stump – do not enter the fire circle unless invited by an adult.
If moving long sticks, do so by dragging them behind you, no waving of long sticks.
3 whistles - back to the fire circle.
1 long whistle – stand still.
Burrington Forest School Handbook
If you would like to view a copy of our Burrington School Forest School Handbook, please email the office for a link.
