Forest Schools

Forest schools provide children with a different approach to learning. An approach to outdoor play and education within a woodland environment.

Forest school teachers believe the 'richness' of education outdoors is much more of that indoors. It is very much a child led process where the children are able to express themselves through play and choose to learn in whatever way they like, whilst the teachers role is not to teach but observe.


Children are able to make loud noises and big noises and experience a different sense of learning through touching, smelling, holding and watching everything outdoors. By the children being able to engage in activities they have chosen to do, it is said that they gain confidence, self esteem, knowledge and love for that environment.


Forest school teachers believe that children learn about the world by 'digging into it', 'cutting into it' and 'rolling into it', children need to learn to manage risks. Children are taught to identify possible hazards for example, a slippery tree. Children learn to think about the potential risks of things if they engage in them.



At forest school all participants are viewed as:

• Equal, unique and valuable
• Competent to explore and discover
• Entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge
•  Entitled to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development 
• Very willing to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people around them
• Entitled to develop a positive relationship with their own natural world. 

"The Forest School Association is the professional body and UK wide voice for forest school, promoting best practice, cohesion and 'quality forest school for all'. Click here to find out more about the forest school association.