Forest School

At Flora Gardens, all children have weekly Forest School lessons with Miss E Kelly. Our lessons take place in our Wildlife Garden where we are surrounded by trees, bushes, planters, a pond making it the perfect environment to discover, explore and learn about nature and the outdoors.

Forest School uses the outdoors to build independence, teamwork, problem solving skills and self-esteem. All children have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills that they wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to do inside the classroom. This includes appropriate risk and challenge by using tools such as peelers, bow saws, loppers and fire making equipment. Example activities include self-portraits using natural resources, bug hunts, whittling sticks to make magic wands, planting seeds, toasting marshmallows, and lots more! Whilst Forest School offers a different style of learning, our approach is very cross curricular and has many links to the National Curriculum.

Children are also encouraged and supported during exploration time to challenge themselves by climbing trees, den building, and other child-initiated activities. Adults support children to risk assess and keep themselves safe. Children show resilience through learning new skills and undertaking activities that they may find challenging.

Our aim at Flora Gardens is that through the Forest School experiences, children become environmentally conscious citizens for the future.