We run Forest School sessions, both in Bamford (on a Monday and Wednesday afternoon) and at Breedon Hope Cement Works’ Forest School site. A member of our team has completed their Forest School training and is Forest School accredited.

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

Please speak to a member of the team for more information about our Forest School offering.

A Forest School session guide for Parents/Carers

Introduction to Forest School

Forest School sessions take place in the natural outdoor environment.  Your child will have the opportunity to learn new skills, create, explore, discover, initiate their own play and learning, learn about their natural environment and how to take care of it, take calculated risks in a safe and controlled environment, work as part of a team, build self-esteem and grow in confidence.

We have a Forest School handbook which includes relevant policies and risk assessments available upon request

For further information on Forest School sessions please ring, email or make an appointment to come in to setting and speak to us

 

Our Ethos

We provide opportunities for children to initiate and direct their learning in a natural, enabling environment through regular, frequent forest school sessions.

Our approach promotes holistic development in a child-led, stimulating, challenging, creative environment.

Children can explore, investigate, assess risk, and take risks in a controlled and safe way.

We have high staff to child ratios to enable all children to develop forest school based skills as well as skills to support life-long learning.

Our forest school programme develops independence, confidence, self-esteem, resilience, achievement, success, problem solving and teamwork.

It supports communication and language development, physical development, and children’s personal, social and emotional development.

Children learn to care for, understand and appreciate nature and the outdoors.

At Bamford Pre-school, our approach and aim is “Making Learning Fun”…at our forest school sessions we place great importance on having fun!

 

Staff

Hannah Ollerenshaw: Level 3 Forest School Leader, Level 3 Early Years Educator, Paediatric First Aid

Angela Rackstraw: Level 3 NNEB in Early Years, Paediatric First Aid

Phoebe Pembleton: Apprentice Level 3 Early Years Educator, Paediatric First Aid

Harley Leuty: Apprentice Level 3 Early Years Educator, Paediatric First Aid

All staff hold a current DBS Certificate

 

Kit List

Winter

• Vest or t-shirt
• Long sleeved top
• Warm jumper
• Thick socks (thermal) or two pairs of thinner socks
• Trousers (consider tights or leggings underneath trousers)
• Waterproof trousers and coat or waterproof all-in-one
• Wellies or sturdy waterproof boots
• Hat, scarf and gloves

 

Summer

• Long sleeved t-shirt
• Long trousers
• Wellies or sturdy waterproof boots
• Sunhat
• Sunscreen
• Waterproof coat if raining

 

Spring and Autumn can be variable, please refer to these kit lists depending on the weather. 

All children will need a change of clothes at Pre-school in the event of getting wet and muddy.

We have spare kit available for loan at Pre-school if needed, please speak to a member of staff

 

What we will be doing at our Forest School sessions

Our Forest School sessions are child-led, however, we will sometimes have a theme and the session may begin with a story that links to our theme.

There will be activities available for the children to take part in if they choose to, for example:

Bug hunting

Tree and flora/fauna identification

Crafting with natural materials

Fire and cooking

Tool use

Den building

Lashings and knots