'What do we know so far about the effects of forest school?
- One study found the most common reason people in Norway and Kentucky chose an environmental career was because of positive experiences and connections to nature as a child.
- Research in the UK into Forest School and its impacts on young children found positive impacts on children in terms of confidence, social skills, language and communication, motivation and concentration, physical skills and knowledge and understanding.
- A study that investigated life stress and rural children discovered that children who had significant, direct contact with the natural world were better able to deal with stresses in daily life compared to those who hadn’t.
It is argued that developing this relationship with nature early on (the earlier the better), might not only bring about positive results for children’s mental health but also impact their future, and how they act in relation to the environment.
As children are the future policymakers, it would seem appropriate to enable them to have positive experiences with the environment to inform better decision making in the future.'
Cite: https://www.marjon.ac.uk/professional-development-for-teachers/better-forest-school/#:~:text=Research%20in%20the%20UK%20into,skills%20and%20knowledge%20and%20understanding.
Our children currently attend weekly throughout the year using the following schedule:
Autumn term: reserved for intervention work only with our most vulnerable pupils.
Spring term: intervention work and EYFS.
Alongside the above, we run a weekly forest school club after school on a Monday.
The school is staffed by qualified teachers who are trained in delivering such a curriculum.
