Forest School as defined by the Forest School Association states that;

“Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.”

At Stonebow, we are incredibly lucky to have beautiful grounds backed by the Stonebow Washlands. 

Together with the children, we have created our own Forest School site to the rear of our school with a wooded area, small meadow and fire pit area. We are bordered by a natural hedgerow, an existing wooded area with some newly planted saplings and we allow our meadow area to grow for the bees and butterflies.

We are dedicated to giving our children the opportunity to access Forest School through weekly, small group sessions. We focus on five core skills, Awareness of Nature (the need to nurture our environment), Shelter Building, Knots and Lashing techniques, Tool Use and Fire Skills.

By offering children the opportunity to learn and develop with hands-on learning experiences in a stimulating and natural environment, we aim to foster a positive connection to inspire a generation of environmentally caring children.

Our Aims

	To create independent, resilient learners who are challenged to achieve their best
	To maintain an inclusive ethos in which individuals of all needs and abilities can thrive
	To prepare our children to be responsible citizens in an ever changing world
	To deliver an enriching, creative curriculum which will inspire and enthuse our children
	To establish and develop positive partnerships with our families and the wider community
	To provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment which supports the health and wellbeing of all

Forest School also fits in with our Stonebow Learning Powers which are instilled and celebrated throughout the children’s school life at Stonebow. Powers of Resilience, Enthusiasm, Curiosity, Co-operation, Concentration and Perseverance are skills which are continuously taught and developed (and tested on rainy days!) during the Forest School experience.

Our Guinea Pig Adventure

We have recently got new guinea pigs for the school. They are only babies at 10 weeks old. We named them Oreo and Ginny! They currently live in the library in a cage, but we are looking to put them in a specially made outdoor cage, so watch this space for future reference. The children love them, and we thought that something on our school website would be cool.

Check out the photos below.

Written by Phoebe and Mr. Lees

This is where they live at the moment. It is 120cm x 55cm x 50cm

This is Oreo!

This is Ginny!

Best Friends Forever (BFFs)