Forest School
Why do we teach forest school?
Forest school is an outdoor educational programme and intervention that focusses on giving pupils opportunities to learn and develop in natural spaces. The learning process is built upon practical, active learning, and pupils explore the wonders of nature through a hands-on approach. Forest school can help to develop a love of the outdoors alongside a lifelong appreciation of the natural world.
ACE Schools place high importance on holistic development at forest school and pupils benefit from participation in many ways through the curriculum offer. Examples include the learning of traditional forest school/outdoors skills such as fire lighting, foraging, knot tying etc. Furthermore, pupils learn life skills such as cooking and first aid. Forest school is also fantastic in ensuring both EHCP and Pupil Profile strategies and targets are met. Pupils with SEMH needs, communication and interaction needs, and physical and sensory needs can all benefit from their time at forest school and as a result, the experience allows them to flourish in other parts of their education.
Find out more below in the document section below.
The Wild Passport
What is it?
The Wild Passport is a progressive skills curriculum and attainment monitoring system for outdoor learning. Utilising a purpose designed skills progression pathway and an accompanying monitoring and Individual Learning Passport, takes learners from foundation woodland skills through to higher level competencies across 125 different learning objectives in 5 different skill areas:
- Woodwork/tools,
- shelter,
- fire,
- nature and
- rope.
Each skill area has 25 different learning objectives, with 5 learning objectives in each level of difficulty (beginner, advanced beginner, intermediate, proficient, expert).
The Wild Passport helps to form a framework for:
- skill acquisition,
- learning,
- independence,
- resilience
- adventure.
Certificates given for completion of all activities in each level of difficulty
Learning objective “S1.3” (Build a den) Learning objective “F3.1” (Build a tipi fire lay)
