Forest School
At Smithy Bridge, our Forest School programme provides an enriching outdoor learning experience for children in Year 2 and Year 5. Every two weeks, pupils spend an afternoon in our dedicated forest School area, engaging in bushcraft and natural play activities (den building, tree climbing, mud kitchen, campfire cooking, fauna and flora exploration only to name a few!) These are designed to foster resilience, creativity and a deep connection with nature.
Led by Mrs walker, A Level 3 Forest School Leader, and overseen by Mrs Treaton, the program follows the core principles of Forest School education, which emphases child-led play and exploration, holistic development, and the building of self confidence in an outdoor environment.
The Forest School programme aligns with Smithy Bridge's core values, ethos and key drivers - nurturing independence, collaboration, and respect for the natural world. Through hands on learning, children develop essential life skills while deepening their understanding of the environment, supporting the school's commitment to cultivating responsible global citizens.
FOREST SCHOOL AND PLAY
Current research on the neuroscience of play and learning establishes that children maximise their learning potential when the combination of 3 characteristics is present. They are:
PLAY ~ CREATIVITY ~ NURTURE
As a Forest School team, we recognise our privilege of enriching children's lives through the facilitation of play and curiosity in a nurturing environment, and how this positively impacts on child development, wellbeing and health.
We champion play as a learning tool, emphasising that play is the most important and best skill in our pro-social toolbox.
