The children and staff at Bamford Pre-school will be donning their wellies and waterproofs this summer term as they head to the woods for new Forest School sessions on Friday afternoons.

The playgroup has joined forces with Bamford Primary School to extend its offering, giving children aged three and over the opportunity to benefit from these brilliant outdoor lessons, which are run by a qualified teacher and teaching assistant who are currently training to be Forest School leaders.

Forest School, it is an inspirational process, that helps young children develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees. Activities include; den building, painting with mud, creating woodland musical instruments and campfires!

The new Forest School sessions will mean that eligible children can now do a full day at pre-school on Fridays until 3.15pm, with the option to have a school dinner.

Pre-school Leader, Caroline Hunter said: “We are delighted to be offering Forest School in conjunction with our friends at Bamford Primary. Connecting with nature and learning about the environment is something we’re passionate about, Forest School provides the perfect opportunity for the children to explore and learn about the outdoors, while building their confidence and independence in preparation for big school.”

Headteacher at Bamford Primary, Kate Gemmell said: “We strongly believe in the importance of outdoor learning and in recent years we have invested a great deal into Forest School. We have recorded some brilliant results for both our reception and year one classes and so it’s fantastic that now pre-school children can enjoy this enriching experience too.  These close links with pre-school also mean that the transition to school from nursery is as smooth as possible, allowing children to settle into the school environment well.”