Lift Hockley

Our Forest School provision rationale

At Lift Hockley we provide a unique and holistic method of outdoor learning that allows children to succeed, develop their confidence, resilience, self-esteem and independence as well as developing knowledge and understanding of their natural environment. Through this process, our sessions have evolved into a tool with which our children can better shape their life experience, their relationships with others and the natural world they inhabit. Our quality Forest School provision aims to provide children with comprehensive and developmentally appropriate learning experiences that nurtures all participants' curiosity, creativity, and love for the natural world.

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Our curriculum intent:

Just as our great oak trees need water, light, nutrients and protection to support growth, our children thrive with a strong curriculum built around these key drivers:

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Ambition - Our Forest School provision promotes risk taking, problem solving, success, while developing cognitive learning processes for the future. It offers our children the opportunity to experience a range of activities, skills and knowledge, with the hope that they might make their experiences relevant to their future curiosity, care and a deep rooted respect of nature.

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Knowledge - Although Forest School is not part of the National Curriculum, it is an essential part of our school provision. Through learning holistically our aims are: To develop children's practical skills: enabling children to develop skills in shelter building, tool use, knot tying, and fire management. Our children will develop their emotional language and social skills as well as consider and adapt to the feelings and emotions of those around them.

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Creativity - Our Forest School offers children the opportunity and right to express themselves emotionally and creatively. The creative aspects are fostered through the making of craft, tools, stories, in imagining about the things that they can do with the materials that are given to them. We provide children with a space to take risks, to hypothesise and test those hypotheses, to communicate, cooperate, problem solve and construct.

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Compassion - Our Forest school provision is flexible and enables all participants to achieve with a degree of challenge whilst being in a supportive environment. This builds confidence and self-esteem and encourages perseverance that will help to build resilience. Every session has an element of sharing feelings and emotions, in turn this enables other children to respect, understand and be compassionate. They learn to empathise with other children's situations, looking at how they are feeling and imagining how they might feel in their situation or what they could do to help each other.

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Community - At Hockley Primary, we foster well-rounded individuals equipped with the skills to thrive in a changing world. Our Forest School program is integral to this, providing opportunities for children to develop resilience, independence, and a strong sense of community. Through hands-on experiences in nature, they learn about responsibility, respect for the environment, and the importance of collaboration. These skills, alongside our broader curriculum, empower our children to become confident, compassionate, and environmentally conscious citizens.

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Knowledge organisation

Our Forest School sessions aim to develop, where appropriate, the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, moral and spiritual aspects of our participants.

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Progression and sequencing

Our Forest School sessions run weekly for half a term, offering continuous opportunities for children to flourish. Through engaging activities and repeated practice, children progressively develop essential skills, confidence, and cognitive abilities. As they advance through school, these experiences are built upon, allowing for deeper understanding and skill refinement.

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Aim High: “Mighty Oaks from little acorns grow”

In addition to the above 4 main areas covered in Forest School sessions we seek to consolidate all areas of the curriculum and build and extend knowledge for example:

ENGLISH - Children will use descriptive vocabulary to describe woodland objects and plants, though sensory games. All of these sessions use speaking and listening, key literacy skills such as exciting vocabulary which then permeates all areas of learning. They will talk and share ideas about how we can help to look after the planet.
SCIENCE - Through shelter building children recognise that there are hazards in living things, materials and physical processes and assess risks and take action to reduce these risks to themselves and others. They learn to sort objects into groups on the basis of simple material properties, they learn that both pushes and pulls are forces and how a variety of materials are chosen for specific uses on the basis of their simple properties. Through mini beast hunts children learn about the different kinds of animals in the local environment and understand that animals need food and water to survive. By looking at flowers children recognize the leaf, flower, stem and root of flowering plants. When cooking children follow instructions to control the risks to themselves, they use the senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste as appropriate. They communicate what happens in a variety of ways including speech and explore and describe the way some materials change when they are heated.
MATHS – Children measure lengths of sticks and consolidate 3D shapes when building dens and making picture frames.
ART and DT – The Forest Schools curriculum gives all children the opportunities to cut wood and shape it safely. They will learn how to use tools. They will also learn how to lash pieces of wood together and how and why we tie different knots. They will make pictures and sculptures from natural materials.
PSHE – Forest School will nurture a deeper bond with nature and consider how much joy it brings to the children, and how they should respect and look after our planet. They will learn how to listen to other people, and play and work collaboratively

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Pedagogy

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At Lift Hockley our Forest School is a long-term, holistic educational approach that takes place in our natural woodland environment. Play is children’s work and our skilled leaders create a dynamic and inclusive space where children can learn, explore, take supported risks, and develop a deep connection with nature. Learning is viewed as an organic process, with sessions tailored to individual needs and interests.

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Research-informed

Originating in Denmark, Forest School initially focused on preschool children. These young learners developed exceptional social and communication skills, strong teamwork abilities, and high self-esteem through their outdoor experiences. This robust foundation significantly contributed to their later academic success.

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Assessment

Children's progress in Forest School is closely monitored by our leaders and shared regularly with class teachers to ensure holistic child development. The outdoor environment often reveals unexpected strengths and abilities in our children, showcasing a range of skills that might not be apparent in a classroom setting.

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Outcomes

The impact of our Forest School is evident throughout our school. Children's conversations are enriched with newfound knowledge and understanding of the natural world. Their play reflects a deep-rooted care and compassion for nature. Most importantly, their enthusiasm for Forest School is contagious, inspiring a love of learning and exploration.

At Lift Hockley our Forest School sessions are holistic, unique educational experiences and processes that offer children the opportunity to succeed and develop independence, confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in our woodland environment. It offers challenging activities that enable children to take responsibility, manage risk and foster resilience in order to become creative learners. The children develop a deeper interest and knowledge in the natural world.

Children engage in motivating and achievable tasks and activities throughout their half term block and in almost all weathers, with the appropriate footwear and clothing. Children will work with tools, play, sing, learn and understand the boundaries of behaviour, both physical and social.

At Forest School we encourage children to:

Develop personal and social skills.
Work through practical problems and challenges and use tools to create, build or manage.
Discover how they learn best and pursue knowledge that interests them.
Learn how to manage failures.
Build confidence in decision making and evaluating risk.
Develop practical skills.
Understand the benefits of a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Explore connections between humans, wildlife and the earth.
Regularly experience achievement and success.
Reflect on learning and experiences.
Develop their language and communication skills.
Improve physical motor skills.
Become more motivated.
Enhance their concentration skills.
Enhance their communication skills.
Explore the world through all the senses available to them.
Develop a greater understanding of wider environmental issues and seasonal changes.
Develop their own emotional intelligence.

As a school, we monitor the impact of our Forest School program. It fosters a strong sense of belonging and empowers children to become responsible for the natural world around them and their future.

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The Forest School approach to learning is centred on the ethos that children should be given the freedom to develop themselves through hands on, self-led learning, and the opportunity to make discoveries and take risks: all taking place in the beautiful woodlands surrounding our school.

Children will have to chance to engage in exciting and achievable activities and overcome obstacles at their own pace, Session continue throughout the year- rain or shine (and if we're lucky - snow!)

Through Forest school sessions, all areas of development are supported and enhanced.

A love and respect for the woodland and of our world is sure to be gained and children are given the chance to develop a deeper understanding our the natural world.

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