What is a Forest School?

Forest school is an alternative education model held outdoors. Whatever the weather, children are encouraged to play, explore, and learn in natural outdoor spaces. This provides dynamic and varied learning conditions.

A distinctive feature is the emphasis on play with objects that can be found in nature, rather than commercial toys. Using resources in nature, materials with no predefined use or purpose, supports the development of language skills, as children verbally create a common understanding of these ‘loose parts’. Our outdoor classrooms, with no walls or ceilings, are also less noisy than closed rooms, and noise is a factor in the stress level of children. Lastly, with high adult-to-child ratios, children can safely experience activities with an element of risk, such as climbing trees or lighting fires. Children have the freedom to explore, investigate, and experiment in nature's time and on nature’s terms. Adult supervision is meant to support or assist students, rather than lead. Our Forest school provides a higher adult-to-child ratio to ensure children are supported sufficiently in a higher-risk environment. As such, children learn to assess and manage risk, leading to greater independence and self-sufficiency.