Ludlow Primary School (for ages 2-11)

We are really excited to begin our journey developing our Forest School site this year. We are hoping to provide all children the opportunity to benefit from the outdoor environment alongside their current curriculum. 

Staff at Ludlow Primary School have undergone professional learning to deepen their understanding of the benefits that Forest School provides for children. 

What is Forest School? 

Forest school promotes child initiated learning at its best. It creates a world where children are believed to be competent to choose and drive their own learning and development at a place which is appropriate and meaningful to them. They are freely able to explore and discover whilst learning how to manage appropriate risk and challenge which is vital in their decision making. The adults are there to support the children, guide if asked, look out for dangers and most importantly, celebrate the learning taking place. 

Forest school helps children to grow in confidence as a result of the freedom, time and space they are given in their learning. This allows them to demonstrate independence at each individual child's rate. At Forest School children will be physically active a lot of the time and their physical stamina will improve as they go through their forest school sessions. As the children gain confidence and improve their self esteem this can have a positive impact on their emotional and mental wellbeing.  

What to expect during a Forest School session: 

We aim to challenge and support the children to become independent, resilient learners who enjoy trying out their ideas, working together with their peers to solve problems and conquer challenges. 

Some of the challenges may include: 

• - Den/Shelter building 
• - Natural art 
• - Story telling 
• - Physical challenges 
• - Survival skills 
• - Fire lighting 
• - Looking after wildlife 
• - Tree climbing 
• - Team building exercises 
• - Free play