Working as a team so that you are successful can often be a challenge, lots of ideas and personalities to accommodate. Different learning and communication styles, it can be a real struggle and takes...
At Harlow Green, we have developed an environment and curriculum which takes children beyond the classroom and places them into their natural environment as well as their community.
Forest School
Harlow Green is different from most schools in that it is a Forest School. The Forest School approach provides a hands-on, practical education in our outdoor environment. This part of the curriculum is managed by a qualified Forest School Leader – Miss Rowe – who continuously maintains and develops her professional practice. Miss Rowe is supported by Mr McMann during Forest School sessions. The Forest Education Community has put together the guiding principles for Forest Schools. These principles were agreed to ensure good practice across the country.
- Forest School is a long-term process of regular sessions, rather than a one-off or infrequent visits; the cycle of planning, observation, adaptation and review links each session.
- It takes place in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.
- We use a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning.
- Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
- It offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
Our approach at Harlow Green is centred on enabling children to develop a sense of independence and self-motivation, they become more courageous and can learn to realistically assess situations, are more self-reliant and opportunistic. This approach particularly supports the development of self-esteem and self-confidence. The focus in Forest School and Outdoor Learning is on short achievable tasks which then build in complexity based on observations of the children’s needs and interests.
Community Work
Developing children’s understanding about their local community and providing the opportunity to positively impact upon it is essential in developing the future generation. Through the regular curriculum but also through our outdoor curriculum, children are involved in projects which allows them to work within the local community in a variety of ways and to actively engage within it.
In our Forest School sessions we are still keeping focus on team work and a collaborative approach. In Year 4 they were asked: How do I work successfully as part of a team to...
Stick Safety Training is a fundamental part of our Forest School journey that all our children take part in. We use sticks, branches and logs almost every day so it’s important that the children...
Why we do what we do: Hide and Seek. Can you explain the potential risks with playing Hide and Seek? This is what we ask the children in class. After some discussion we show...
Playing a favourite boundary game is a whole different experience in the snow. Reception kept warm by finding the different landmarks around the site. This week as an additional challenge they were given more...
Learning about fires is particularly important at this time of year. Year 2 children have been learning about the Great Fire of London, in class they created their own houses using cardboard boxes. They decorated...
So this week the weather gave us all a lesson in respect. A Forest School programme constantly monitors its ecological impact and works within a sustainable site management plan agreed between the Headteacher, the...
Our gardening club have been working to sort out our school ponds. We want to rejuvenate our existing ones which are really focused on being wildlife friendly and create a new one that has...
Searching for mini-beasts, tree-climbing, building, investigating, composting, mulching, digging and some really epic moving and handling, our Forest School offers a wealth of nature led experiences for all the children. An opportunity to open...
