“My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in a corner of nature” – Claude Monet

“Nature is the source of all true knowledge” – Leonardo da Vinci

Feedback

What was your favourite activity?

“Making hot chocolates on the fire and chipping the ice” – Miss E. Waylamd

“Using the axe and making rope swings” – Grace

“Breaking the ice” – Lola

News from the garden:

• News from the Garden – What have we done this month?

• What is happening next?

• Forest School Quotes and Student Feedback

The final session of the initial Forest School programme has now been completed, and student’s feedback has been very positive. After 11 weeks, the students participating in the intervention have grown in confidence and have the necessary skills needed to succeed, not only in the woodland environment but in the day to day.  They have gained and built on valuable skills such as communication, teamwork, patience, and cooperation, all of which are vital skills for life after Wollaston.

In week 8 the students got to use the skills they have learnt to make fidget toys from cuts of pine wood. The students are now independent in doing activities like this and are happy to get out equipment and work with minimal support from staff. The students are also now able to vocalise their feelings much better and independent creativity is encouraged.

Week 9 was more of a teamwork-based activity where students worked together to make a rope bridge from climbing ropes. The students loved this activity, and all participated in one way or another.

During week 10, the students built on the teamwork and communication skills in a spiderweb challenge. The idea was for the students to make it through the web in teams without touching the ropes and only using each hole once. This was a very difficult task, and the students all attempted the challenge with mixed results. The students, again, were independent in their learning journey and chose which other tasks or activities they wished to enjoy. The new axe seemed popular with student competing to be the first to chop through logs.

Finally:

We ended the programme with a celebratory party in which the students had the opportunity to cook over an open fire. We had a range of food, but the popcorn cooked in a sieve caused the most excitement.  Each student had the choice of what they wanted to cook and had a chance around the fire practicing these skills. Additionally, the students had an opportunity to play games, build rope bridges and explore the area at will.

This was a lovely end to the programme with the students all exclaiming their disbelief that their time in Forest School had come to an end.

What is next?

Currently, we have plans for our transition students to experience our Forest School programmes during summer school in August and during the SEN pre transition days, July, which is very exciting.

Additionally, stayed tuned for more exciting news “from the garden” coming in the new academic year.