Freshford Pre-school runs Forest School activities on a regular basis throughout the year. During the winter months we run short weekly Forest School activity sessions either on the playing field behind the Hall or in a small area of adjacent woodland by kind permission of the landowner. Once a week, during the summer term, the children spend the full Pre-school session outdoors in an extensive area of woodland on the outskirts of the village. The children are dropped off and collected nearby, and then access the woodland via a walk across fields.

What is Forest School?

A Forest School is a secure area of woodland, which acts as an outdoor classroom where children can explore, investigate and discover the natural environment. Forest School provides an excellent opportunity to bring learning to life, allowing the children to explore and learn in a constructive way. This inspirational process increases self-confidence, self-esteem, improves individuals’ ability to work co-operatively and counters a lack of motivation and negative attitude towards learning, while offering the opportunities to take risks, make choices and initiate learning for themselves.

What does your child need for Forest School?

For each Forest School session we would ask you to ensure that your child comes to school suitably dressed for the trip. In good weather, they will need to have had suncream applied, light long sleeve trousers/leggings and tops, sturdy shoes and sunhats. In wet weather we will need them to have warmer long sleeve trousers and tops, a jumper, sturdy shoes and waterproof coats and trousers. However we want the children to feel relaxed and happy in the forest and appreciate that not much fun and learning can be had when soggy and cold. Should our forest sessions look destined to be spoilt by heavy rain  or other extreme weather we will not attempt to soldier on and instead open as usual at the Memorial Hall. 

You can read our Forest Schools Policies and Procedures here.