Forest Schools
Forest School is a nurture based provision, with wellbeing at its foundation which aims to recognise the social, emotional and physical needs of its participants. Children will engage in learner led exploration and discovery, creating inspired experiences that will foster learning and growth. Forest School aims to nurture meaningful experiences for life long impacts; embracing challenge so that over time, children build character, resilience and empathy, and form a greater sense of connection, with nature and for our shared future.
What Forest School aims to do:
- Excite and interest!
- Create a respect for nature and our environment. (Working closely with the Eco Warriors)
- Create an open and respectful environment.
- Allow children’s voices to be heard and their feelings to be recognised.
- Create experiences that enrich the senses and stimulate discussion.
- Allow children to learn through risk and challenge.
Forest School Lead
Miss Plews
Contact: e.plews@swarcliffeprimary.co.uk
Gardening Club
Click on the image above to see what our gardeners have been up to.
2023 - 2024
Summer Term
Spring Term
Early Years
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Bug Hotel
Meerkats
Years 1 and 2
Tools
Easter Scavenger Hunt
Racoons
Years 3 and 4
.......
Bug Hunting
Koalas Spring Walk
Koalas
Den Building
3/4 have learnt a variety of different knots which they have been able to apply to the skill of den building. They have used their teamwork skills to work together to build their dens.
Once the dens were up, the children could then decorate their dens however they liked.
Tools
3/4 have also learnt how to use a variety of tools. They can use these skills to make lots of different things and to prepare wood for a fire.
Peelers
Folding Saws
Secateurs
Year 5 Allotment Area Project
During the Spring term, the year 5's took on the challenge of making over the allotment area. They worked hard digging the wooden beds into the ground, turning over the soil and filling the beds with compost. They also tidies up the area of leaves, long grass and debris from the overhanging tree.
They also planted lots of vegetables in the Poly-Tunnel, which we will then transfer into the vegetable beds, when they are ready.
Autumn Term
Early Years
Reception were introduced tp Forest Schools with a session where they collected natural materials and made things using these materials.
The children helped to put up one of the dens. Then, they used the natural materials found in the area to decorate the dens as a team.
As a Christmas treat, we had a fire and the children practiced their songs for their Nativity.
Years 1 and 2
Year 1/2 were introduced to Forest School with an exploration of the senses.
They foraged for things that they like the feel of...
They went on a scavenger hunt for certain natural materials...
They made perfumes ...
The children then used natural materials that they foraged to create their own characters.
Miss Dash helped Bernard save some of the flowers that had been crowded by overgrown weeds. He rescued them from the beds at the front of school and planted them up in the new beds by the sheds.
Years 5 and 6
Miss Plews challenged the Year 5/6 children to build a Tippy Tap. She gave them all the equipment needed, including the instructions and told them to work as a team to build the structure.
The children also learnt how to use the tools to prepare wood for a fire.
2022 - 2023
Exploring Nature
Using Tools
Gimlets
Peelers
Saws
Secateurs
Den Building
Making Things
Tree Planting with 5/6
Tree Planting Day with 3/4
3/4 were visited by the Tree Appeal, along with some representatives from Edding Pens and YPO. We had a brilliant morning and managed to plant around 190 trees on our school grounds.
Decorating Dens
Christmas Carousel Day
Forest School Sessions with 1/2
We began each session by foraging for an item that was nice to feel. The children then explained why they chose that item and discussed why they enjoyed touching them. The children then lay down in a circle, closed their eyes and felt their objects. They also had a go at experiencing each others objects too.
The children then went foraging again for materials that they could use to make something.
They then used these materials to create their own stick character.
Habitat Building
Tying Knots
Exploring Senses
Forest School Sessions with Reception
Suited and booted in their overalls, the Reception children enjoyed a variety of activities , during their Forest School sessions...
- Foraging for objects that they liked the feel of.
- Playing the 'It's not a stick' game.
- Choosinf a woodland animal and creating a habitat for that animal to live in.
- Puddle hunting and jumping in them with their wellies.
- Foraging for natural materials and using their materials to create their very own characters.
- Introducing their characters to each other.
- Building vehicles for their characters.
- Taking their characters on an adventure and building a place for them to go.
