Forest School

'Not all classrooms have four walls...'

We are very fortunate that our Forest School takes place in a dedicated forest school setting in the wonderful The Yates’ Community Orchard in Church Lench. The Orchard is five minutes walk from the school and follows public footpath.

Forest School runs every Monday during term time only and is open for children who are over 3 year old and fully potty trained. Our sessions start and finish at Church Lench First School from 9-1pm.

Key features of Forest School:

- use of a natural outdoor enviroment

- child-led approach to children's learning which is fun and unhurried

- long term programme that allows repetition where children come into contact with nature using their senses

-  builds children's confidence and self-esteem as they are responsible for making their own decisions and are carefully supported to achieve it

- allows every child to have a voice

- a high adult to child ratio allows children to undertake new experiences whilist taking appropriate risks.

Our Forest School site gives children many wonderful outdoor learning opportunities. We have many fruit trees there, and during Autumn we enjoy tasting a selection of apples,plums and pears. Children are supplied with den making materials, tought how to use tools and equipment safely, play in our mud kitchen and learn how to build fires and use it for cooking food or toasting marshmallows.

We have access to toilets and clean water at the Sports Pavilion located next to the site.

If you would like more information about our Forest School, please do not hesitate to contact Natalie Waters.