the best kind of classroom by ian macmillan this is the best kind of classroom: no walls, just sky...
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The Best Kind of Classroom by Ian MacMillan“This is the best kind of classroom: No walls, just sky and trees.
This is the best kind of classroom: No radiators, just a gentle breeze.
You can learn well here, As the birds sing,
About your place, in the scheme of things.
You can make up poems, about woodland flowers,
Why it’s almost as interesting as the Literacy Hour!
This is the best kind of classroom,
It’s a journey through time and space,
From the smallest seed to the largest tree,
This is a forest and a learning place.
This is the best kind of classroom,
Where the seasons don’t happen in books,
Where the learning is watching and thinking and talking,
And everyone notices, everyone looks”.
The Oaks CE Learning Federation:Copythorne Common Forest School Project
Jim Day
Education Officer
What is Forest School?
Forest School is a system of learning in an
outdoor classroom – usually a woodland –
through a range of practical skills and
achievable tasks which build confidence,
self-esteem and independence. Weekly
sessions with the same group of children
take place over a 6 – 10 week period.
Developed in Sweden in the 1950’s,
Forest School is an intrinsic part of the
education system in Denmark and is
growing in popularity across the UK.
What sort of things do you do?
• Explore the natural world.
• Use tools to make things.
• Shelter building.
• Fire lighting.
• Campfire cooking.
• Arts and crafts.
• Storytelling.
• Music making.
• Learning through ‘risky’ play.
What do the children really like about Forest School?
“Minibeasting”…
What do the children really like about Forest School?
Exploring…
What do the children really like about Forest School?
Making things…
What do the children really like about Forest School?
Using tools…
What do the children really like about Forest School?
…and fire!
What about the National Curriculum?
Forest School encompasses:
• Science.
• Art and Design.
• Maths.
• Communication, Language
and Literacy.
• Design and Technology.
• Citizenship.
Activities can also be linked to specific
themes or subjects, e.g. the New Forest
- wildlife, history and geography.
What opportunities does Forest School offer?
Children are able to:
• Develop and share new skills.
• Grow in self confidence and self
esteem.
• Be independent.
• Take part in child-led learning.
• Assess and manage risk.
• Problem solve.
• Use individual learning style.
• Explore and discover the natural
world.
• Increase environmental awareness.
• Experience seasonal change and
weather.
Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto
“Learning outside the classroom
is about raising achievement
through an organised, powerful
approach to learning in which
direct experience is of prime
importance. This is not only
about what we learn but
importantly how and where we
learn”.
What about Health and Safety?
• All sites and activities fully risk assessed.
• Sessions planned and led by a
qualified Forest School leader (Level 3).
• High adult:child ratios (at least 1:4).
• All staff and volunteers are CRB checked
and follow the Wildlife Trust’s policies
and procedures.
• Designated First Aider.
• Well maintained tools and equipment.
• Children involved with assessing and
managing risk.
• Information pack provided in advance.
Why is it being delivered by the Wildlife Trust?
Through Forest School children
• are able to benefit from repeated
visits to the outdoors;
• have opportunities to explore,
play with and discover the natural
world;
• develop an understanding, care
and respect for their environment.
What does Forest School Cost?
The high staffing ratios and amount of
planning and preparation required to
ensure the safe and effective running of
Forest School programmes means that in
order to come anywhere near meeting our
costs the Wildlife Trust charges £75 per
person for each programme. Even at this
level of charge the Wildlife Trust loses
money in order to deliver Forest School –
but we very much believe that the benefits
outweigh these costs!
• In previous years The Wildlife Trust
has heavily subsidized this particular
Forest School project.
• This year the Wildlife Trust has
worked extensively with the
Federation to help it to secure more
than 50% of the Project costs from
the New Forest National Park
Authority Sustainable Development
Fund.
• As a result the six week Forest
School programme of six lots of two
hour long sessions will cost just £26
per child.
Can you help?
• The higher the ratio of adults to children at Forest School the more the children can do
and achieve. Each Forest School group (3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon) will
have 2-3 Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers and a member of school staff – but
additional help from parents is invaluable. Ideally we need a commitment (within
reason!) to come to all 6 weeks of Forest School, but not necessarily both morning and
afternoon. If you would like to help, please let school know. If you want to know more,
please contact me or speak to one of the parents who has volunteered before – if
you’re not sure who to ask, school will know!
• We will be offering an introductory session on the common for parent volunteers the
week before the Forest School Project starts, on the afternoon of
Thursday 13th September – exact details to be confirmed.
• The last Forest School session promises to be very special indeed this year – more
details will follow, but in the meantime please keep Thursday 25th October free in your
diary!
You are invited to:Copythorne Common
Forest School
Day? Thursdays during autumn half term, starting on 20th
September.
Time? Morning or afternoon – to be confirmed! You’ll spend one half of the day at Copythorne Infant School and the other half in the woods!
Place? Copythorne Common Nature Reserve and Copythorne Infant School.
PLAY, LEARN and DISCOVER in our woodland classroom!
Quotes from children on Forest School
“I felt really good at Forest School”. (from a child who does not normally “feel good” atschool)
“I have learnt to use my eyes much more better”.
“The best bit about Forest School iswhen I finally lit the fire!”
“Forest School is amazing!”
“It’s about an outdoor experienceof making shelters and cooking food. I look forward to Forest School because you do lots of fun activities and we work togetheras a team”.
Quotes from parents on Forest School
“They are able to do many things that wetook for granted growing up, like buildingcamps and having fires. The childrenthoroughly enjoy Forest School and Ibelieve it is a great experience for anychild”.
“He enjoyed everything about Forest School– he came home talking all about it andgradually over a few days more and morecame out”
“It was a wonderful, fun, confidence buildingexperience that my daughter will never forget. I cannot recommend it highlyenough!”
“He has shown a lot more interest in tools and the outdoors – especially with Dad. He couldn’t wait to go to school on a Thursdaymorning!
Quotes from teachers on Forest School“A lot of the children definitely made friends with
children from other schools and this became more
and more apparent as the weeks went on. It was also
noticeable that the children got to know different
members of staff really well.”
“The children enjoyed that it wasn’t a one off trip and
that their experiences developed over six weeks –
they all learnt new life skills and their independence
grew week on week ”.
“Students are now far more supportive
of one another when attempting
something difficult”.
“All the children thoroughly enjoyed the experience
and it had a very positive impact on the self-esteem
of a number of children in the group. Their self-
confidence developed directly as a result of the trust
and responsibility they were given”.
The Best Kind of Classroom by Ian MacMillan“This is the best kind of classroom:
No walls, just sky and trees.
This is the best kind of classroom:
No radiators, just a gentle breeze.
You can learn well here
As the birds sing,
About your place
In the scheme of things.
You can make up poems
About woodland flowers,
Why it’s almost as interesting
As the Literacy Hour!
This is the best kind of classroom,
It’s a journey through time and space,
From the smallest seed to the largest tree,
This is a forest and a learning place.
This is the best kind of classroom,
Where the seasons don’t happen in books,
Where the learning is watching and thinking and talking,
And everyone notices, everyone looks”.