15th January 2025 is the deadline for applying for a Reception place for September 2025. Please ensure that your applications are submitted on time as late applications will only be considered after the national offer day in April.
Login
Home
Job Vacancies

Forest School

What is Forest School?
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.
 
The ethos is shared by thousands of trained practitioners across the UK and beyond. Its roots reach back to early years pioneers in outdoor learning and across the sea to Scandinavia.
 
At Forest School all participants 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.
This learner-centred approach interweaves with the ever-changing moods and marvels, potential and challenges of the natural world through the seasons to fill every Forest School session and programme with discovery and difference. Yet each programme does also share a common set of principles, aimed at ensuring that all learners experience the cumulative and lasting benefits that quality Forest School offers.
 
Principles of Forest School
These principles were first articulated by the Forest School Community in 2002. They were reviewed in 2011:
  • Forest School is a long-term process of regular sessions, rather than a one-off or infrequent visits; the cycle of planning, observation, adaptation and review links each session.
  • Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.
  • Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for being, development and learning.
  • Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
  • Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
  • Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
This ethos creates learning communities where deep-level learning and progression are the norm.
 
Forest School at Etwall Primary School
We now have two qualified Forest School practitioners at Etwall Primary - Mrs Swan and Mr Jowett.  Our aim is that all children will get to experience Forest School throughout their time with us and benefit from its unique approach to become more holistic and rounded learners.