Forest Schools are a type of outdoor education in which children visit forests/woodlands, learning personal, social and technical skills. It has been defined as ‘an inspirational process that offers children regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence through hands-on learning in a woodland environment.’

At Inchmarlo we believe that Forest School is the place where magic can start to happen as imaginations, self-confidence and vocabulary start to grow. Every visit to the Forest will be in our very own school, yet the story will always change and be different. The amazing memories and adventures that take place in Forest School will always be enjoyed.

In Forest School all the boys are given the opportunity to access, experience and enjoy learning while working in the outside environment. We take the “classroom” outside and use the beautiful surroundings, weather and sounds to enhance their learning visually, orally and sensually.  At Inchmarlo we use the woods in our grounds as a means to build independence and self-esteem in the boys.  Personal skills such as teamwork and problem solving are also learnt. The woodland environment can also be used to learn about mathematics and communication.  This holistic approach encourages children’s imaginations, builds self-esteem and creates the desire to understand, learn and respect the natural world around them.

The children are in a safe environment where they can succeed, create and use Maths and Literacy skills without them even realising it!

Through exploration and discovery the children are able to enjoy and self initiate their own learning.

Forest School is an inspirational process, that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees.

Forest School is a specialised learning approach that sits within and complements the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.

At Forest School all children are viewed as:

• Equal, unique and valuable
• Competent to explore & discover
• Entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge
• Entitled to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development
• Entitled to experience regular success
• Entitled to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people
• Entitled to develop a strong, positive relationship with their natural world

What we do at Forest School.

Activities are linked to the topics that the children are covering that term. Typically these may include:

• Design Technology and Science – Building dens and bridges that are suitable for them to sit in and walk on, making animal houses and taking care of the local wildlife.
• Literacy – Story telling around the trees, mark making and writing, following instructions and creating story maps with natural objects.
• Maths – Data handling, Measuring, Shapes and Problem Solving
• Art – creating 3D pictures or sculptures out of clay or mud, colour matching and making our own tools to draw with!