Forest School - COMING SOON
What is Forest School?
Forest School is a child-centred learning process, providing learner inspired, hands-on experiences in the natural environment. It’s creative and can increase a child’s confidence as they problem-solve and learn to manage risks.
At St. Gerard’s, we place great importance on the education of the whole child. Mr Naylor, our Assistant Headteacher, is currently developing Forest School provision at our school. From September 2023 we are looking to develop a bespoke programme of Outdoor Learning at St Gerard’s which is adult-led with a structured approach, to ensure that learning outside the classroom is enhanced and reinforced. We anticipate this will help to embed key concepts into children’s long-term memory, providing platforms for future learning and concept development. We recognise that learning outdoors is intrinsically motivating for children, helping to support their spiritual development and awareness of the wonder of the world around us.
We recognise, especially after the impact of COVID-19, spending more time outdoors in nature also helps to decrease stress and anxiety, supporting both physical and mental health. All children from Nursery to Year 6 will have the opportunity to visit our ‘Forest School’ to develop skills in the following areas:
- Fire
- Tools
- Arts and Crafts
- Nature ID
- Rope Knots and Shelters
- Map Work and Navigation
Once we have more information, we will share this with you. Please follow our hashtag #StGerardsForestSchool on Twitter for the develpment of our provision.
