Forest School Site in Solihull Being Rebuilt
Date: Friday, December 04, 2009
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust's Forest
School Co-ordinator Andy Matthews and Volunteer Manager
Amanda Henshaw, plus the Saturday Volunteer group are set to
rebuild the Forest School base camp that was destroyed by vandals
over the summer.
A band of volunteers and young people will
be rebuilding the base camp area with log seating and a fire circle
for local school groups to use for Forest School sessions.
Sessions will provide hands on learning experience for Solihull
children, linking the outdoor environment to the National
Curriculum. Activities range from the children making musical
instruments or wind chimes using the natural woodland materials to
cooking on a campfire.
The Forest School Project running at
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust aims to engage with schools and early
years settings to train local staff to become Forest School leaders
and run their own Forest Schools. This will be achieved by
empowering local staff, with this qualification we are hoping to
ensure long-term sustainability for Forest School projects across
Solihull, Warwickshire and Coventry.
Forest School is an alternative teaching
method based on environmental education and outdoor play. At
Forest School, the children access an outdoor space on a regular
basis, over a long time period with a qualified leader to guide the
sessions. Over time, the children become able to direct their
own learning experience. Being given the time and space to
explore learning in one's own way has many benefits for children,
it allows them to engage again with the learning process, something
which not everyone achieves in the classroom. Initial
research into the learning process is proving that learning in the
way which suits you best allows much faster access to deeper
learning and understanding and it is in this phase where what is
learned is retained. Changes are also seen over time with
improved behaviour and self confidence as well as communication and
team working skills, too.
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