Forest School Jo

This last week of term has been a week of Campfires and treats. For so long we haven't attempted a fire because of air quality, the increased risk to needing to call emergency services, and because it has been so dry! But rain and an easing of advice from The Fire Service meant that this week all 12 Bubble classes got to pond dip, sit by a fire, eat some treats, and discuss what they like best about Forest School.... Orange Bubble... Discovering newts Watching the frog Holding a water boatman Climbing trees Climbing high Climbing upside down Peeling twigs Whittling wood Building dens Running fast Digging deep Racing on the tyres Lovely treats Butterflies Survival... Purple Bubble Love holding baby newts Playing with friends Making up stories Love Trees Leaf matching Branch climbing Playing all together Having treats 'If the others were here they would be so happy!' R ed Bubble like Making dens Climbing trees Swinging on ropes Exploring in unknown places Whittlin...

Mama Beech sits on the edge of a Forest School site overlooking the copse that hides basecamp. There's a strip of woodland the children explore, a field of space to run, and the huge tree shields the Fairy Glen quiet space. This site is on school grounds, and across the year as many classes as possible in a two-form Primary take part in full 2 hour FS Sessions... Until Lockdown interrupted and Coronavirus changed the rules. Emerging back into school life routines have changed, lessons have altered, classes are no longer the same size, or pupils, and restrictions due to social distancing and cross contamination make even the idea of Forest School Sessions as I know them fraught. So it's time to adapt. We've made the decision that all the children need as much outdoor time as possible. This stems from some children having been cooped up during the lockdown period and needing the space and freedom to move, the assertion that it's harder to catch Covid-19 outside (b...