Forest School
Richard Wood of Outdoor Learning in Northumberland Ltd has been running Forest School activities since May 2006. In July that year Lord Howick kindly offered the use of woodland at Howick near Alnwick, which is not open to the general public. With his support and funding from the Northumberland Area of Outstanding National Beauty the forest school is now well established. As at September 2008 we had had over 2000 Nursery and First School children learning and playing alongside us, taking part in a wide range of activities.
The idea of forests schools comes from Scandinavia where it is believed that children’s early age contact with nature is extremely important. Forest School activities offers children opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem, through hands-on learning experiences. These experiences take place all year round, in all weathers. Through careful liaison with teaching staff, days are designed to provide activities which link in to children’s learning in school but also give the freedom for the children to explore using multiple senses, encouraging creative, diverse and imaginative play.
Forest Schools can contribute to four of the five outcomes that are part of the Every Child Matters Framework:
- Be healthy
- Stay safe
- Enjoy and achieve
- Make a positive contribution.
They also support the Government’s “Education outside the Classroom Manifesto” and the DCSF's initiative “Excellence and Enjoyment”.
We have sites at Howick, Blagdon, Widdrington Station and Broomley and can arrange access to woodland through schools such as Ford in the north of the county.
For evidence of the impact of forest schools go to:
Forest Research Report |
