Forest School at Little Pioneers
Pssst … have you heard about our Forest School? And did you know that Little Pioneers has been recognised for offering good Forest School practice?
A Forest School is a way to provide education to your children while they enjoy the great outdoors. At Little Pioneers, we use the woodland environment to help children develop their confidence and better understand the world outside of their homes and the classroom.
Five Little Pioneers nurseries use our Forest School, where we aim to inspire the children and to build their confidence. By encouraging them to take part in exciting and motivational tasks in the woods, they improve their problem-solving abilities and gradually learn to co-operate better with their friends.
The difference a Forest School makes
The Forest School ethos requires sessions to be child-led, and to run depending on what each class’s needs may be.
Wendi Botterill, Level 3 Forest School leader at Little Pioneers, talked about the differences she’s seen in the children’s behaviour since they’ve started at the Forest School.
Wendi said: “The Forest School has particularly helped our children who have English as a second language. One boy only spoke Spanish when he first came to the nursery, but by week 7 he was chatting in English when he was in the woods! We see huge changes in the children because I think the barriers come down and help them to gain independence and confidence as a result.”
The Little Pioneers Forest School welcomes all children, including those with Individual Learning Plans as well as children who may have Special Educational Needs. The relaxing woodland environment often helps put them at ease, because it is less noisy than an enclosed classroom.
Some of the children who attend haven’t even put wellies on before, so just encouraging them to put on their own waterproofs is a great way to build confidence and self-esteem.
Activities and problem-solving
We base our Forest School sessions in 3.3 acres of glorious undisturbed woodland, and our adult team are often as excited to be there as the children! The children are taken for a short walk from the mini-bus to where we hold our main activities. Once there, they are encouraged to take in their surroundings and notice the different colours around them, the size of the trees, and the sounds of the forest as the leaves crunch beneath their feet. We find that most children are immediately engaged with the woodland, and keen to begin exploring the naturally beautiful environment.
At our Forest School, we want the children to express themselves and explore their imaginations to the fullest, whatever the weather. They make dens, match leaves together, and learn how to orientate themselves. They also love the digging area, mud painting, and taking part in counting and comparing activities.
Our children are also given the chance to try activities that they would not normally have the chance to do, such as using pen knives or being shown how to light a fire. We supervise them and show them the safest ways, teaching them about the risks and how to use such items in a safe way.
The Forest School ethos involves asking the children open-ended questions to encourage them to think for themselves, and to consider how they’ll solve problems, what they can use to get around obstacles, and what they can use to help them.
The benefits of a Forest School
The Little Pioneers Forest School in the West Midlands has recently been accredited as a “Recognised Forest School Provider” by the Forest School Association (FSA).
Wendi Botterill added: “I’m so proud that we’ve achieved this accreditation. We believe strongly in the value that our Forest School brings to the children’s learning and the opportunities it provides for them to grow as confident and independent individuals.”
For us at Little Pioneers, this is only the beginning of our journey. Our Forest Schools come as part of our nursery package – so how could our Forest School benefit your child?