What is Forest School and what are our aims?
At Easton CE Academy we are blessed to have our very own Forest area on site, enabling us to give our pupils Forest School sessions weekly.
Forest School is a place where children and young people can develop in incredible ways through hands on learning experiences and new play opportunities in a woodland environment.
Aims
Every child who attends Forest School over a period of time will hopefully.....
- Have fun and enjoy being outside in the woodland.
- Develop a deep appreciation for nature and outdoor environments.
- Achieve new things.
- Learn through play.
- Develop confidence, self esteem and emotional intelligence.
- Experience acceptable risks and develop risk management knowledge and skills.
- Enjoy freedom and being able to initiate activities.
Nature deficit disorder
We hope that Forest School sessions will help to tackle the rise of Nature deficit disorder in Britain, which has been highlighted by a recent report by the National Trust, see Outdoor nation website for more information.
Nature deficit disorder is a term coined by Richard Louv to describe a growing dislocation between children and nature, which leads to significant negative effects on children. In the area that Easton CE Academy is located in Bristol many children have limited access to outdoor spaces, in particular forest spaces. Forest School provides opportunities for children to thrive in a natural environment.
