Forest School
Through Forest Schools and other environmentally based initiatives children at Moorcroft Wood Academy are able to develop a life long love and understanding of the natural environment, whilst developing the core purposes of the Forest School ethos; namely developing self esteem, confidence and social skills. Through carefully planned activities all children from Year 1 upwards at Moorcroft Wood are able to take part in a half term’s worth of outdoor learning which enables them to excel in all areas of personal, academic and spiritual development. Children in EYFS will access the Forest School more frequently.
The philosophy which underpins the Forest School movement is to encourage and inspire individuals from any age, and any group, through mastery of small, achievable tasks in a woodland environment, to grow in confidence and independence so that they are able to develop a sense of self worth. The curriculum has been planned so that each week, the children explore and learn a new skill set which is then revisited during future forest school sessions.
At Moorcroft Wood Academy, we operate our Forest School in the woodland situated within the school grounds. These have been cleared and made suitable for Forest School activities by a team of school and MAT staff and volunteers. Moorcroft Wood Academy would like to express thanks to these people for their hard work. The woodland environment allows children to experience an outdoor setting which is something new or unfamiliar for many of them because they live in a largely built-up industrial area.
Experience in other settings has shown Forest Schools to be inspirational, opinion changing and challenging. It raises expectations and develops incites into individual learning styles and schemas. It is personally and socially uplifting so laying the foundations for other learning. Unlike other forms of outdoor education which are largely based on the school curriculum or focus on team building, challenging activities or competitiveness, the Forest School embraces an entirely different approach through the nurturing, support and development of the self-esteem of participants.
The philosophy which underpins the Forest School movement is to encourage and inspire individuals from any age, and any group, through mastery of small, achievable tasks in a woodland environment, to grow in confidence and independence so that they are able to develop a sense of self worth. The curriculum has been planned so that each week, the children explore and learn a new skill set which is then revisited during future forest school sessions.
At Moorcroft Wood Academy, we operate our Forest School in the woodland situated within the school grounds. These have been cleared and made suitable for Forest School activities by a team of school and MAT staff and volunteers. Moorcroft Wood Academy would like to express thanks to these people for their hard work. The woodland environment allows children to experience an outdoor setting which is something new or unfamiliar for many of them because they live in a largely built-up industrial area.
Experience in other settings has shown Forest Schools to be inspirational, opinion changing and challenging. It raises expectations and develops incites into individual learning styles and schemas. It is personally and socially uplifting so laying the foundations for other learning. Unlike other forms of outdoor education which are largely based on the school curriculum or focus on team building, challenging activities or competitiveness, the Forest School embraces an entirely different approach through the nurturing, support and development of the self-esteem of participants.
See the link to our Forest School Handbook. This has been produced and written by the Forest School Lead (Nathan Leese) and contains general information, necessary policies and risk assessments relating to Forest Schools.
The link to the Forest School Session Plans, details the content of Forest School sessions that are delivered to children from year 1 to 6.
Forest Schools
We know that Forest School sessions provide many benefits for children, helping to build confidence, resilience, communication skills, teamwork and wellbeing. Just as importantly, children value these experiences themselves and recognise the positive impact that time outdoors has on how they feel, learn and connect with others. Below are some of the comments children have shared about their time in the woods, giving an insight into what Forest School means to them.
If you would like any further information about Forest School at Moorcroft Wood Academy, please contact Mr Leese.