The benefits of Forest School at Lowercroft.

Forest School is a long-term, child-centred approach to learning in the natural environment. Through regular, carefully planned sessions from EYFS to Year 6, children build confidence, resilience and a deep connection with nature. The woodland becomes a living classroom where every stick, stone and birdsong can spark learning.

At the heart of our Forest School are our school values:

• Empathy – Working in teams to solve problems (building shelters, creating bug hotels) helps children listen to others, recognise feelings and offer support. Caring for living things fosters compassion for the wider world.
• Respect – Children learn to look after tools, habitats and each other. Clear routines around safety, boundaries and tidiness promote respectful behaviour that transfers back into the classroom.
• Independence – Open-ended tasks encourage pupils to plan, choose resources and evaluate their own work. Over time, children need fewer adult prompts and take increasing ownership of their learning.
• Courage – Trying something new—lighting a fire safely, whittling with a peeler, climbing a little higher—builds bravery and risk awareness. Children learn to assess hazards and make sensible decisions.
• Curiosity – Seasonal change invites questions and inquiry. Pupils observe, hypothesise and test ideas (Why is this bark different? Which habitats do mini-beasts prefer?) developing scientific thinking and a love of discovery.

What children gain:

• Wellbeing and resilience: Time outdoors reduces stress and boosts mood. Persevering through mud, wind and challenge nurtures grit and self-belief.
• Communication and collaboration: Practical tasks demand clear talk, turn-taking and problem-solving, which are key building blocks for effective teamwork.
• Physical development: Climbing, balancing and tool use refine gross and fine motor skills, supporting handwriting and PE.
• Creativity and imagination: Natural materials inspire art, storytelling and music; sticks become characters, leaves become patterns.
• Curriculum links: Forest School enriches science (living things, habitats), geography (fieldwork), design & technology (structures, tools), maths (measuring, estimating) and English (instructional writing, descriptive language).