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Sycamore Class week 2

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This morning, Sycamore Class took part in their second Forest School session, enjoying a beautiful frosty start with clear blue skies. We met by the welly sheds and talked about firewood, challenging the children to find a spaghetti-sized piece and a pencil-sized piece from the ground. We then walked around the outside of the field on our journey down to the Forest School site, discovering lots of ice and frost along the way – perfect for exploring, investigating and playing. At the site, the children played a matching game, learning about animals such as beavers and otters, different types of fungi, and trees, while also practising the fire circle rules. There were lots of thoughtful discussions before Mrs. Sunderland introduced new tools, including a peeler and a palm drill. We talked about how to safely use these tool and what we might make with them.  Activities included whittling hazel sticks, lots of enthusiastic den building, clay faces and tinkering with nails, corks and pi...
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Sycamore class Week 1

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What a fantastic first Forest School session today! We met at the welly sheds with very high energy and lots of excitement. As many of the children experienced Forest School back in Year 3, it was lovely to see how much they remembered. They quickly recalled routines, rules and expectations as we headed down to the site, thinking about and revisiting the nature names they had created two years ago. Once on site, the children chose their Forest School jobs for the next six weeks, helping to set up and care for our camp. Roles included handwashing, hanging fire blankets and hazard flags, washing up and more – all helping to build responsibility, independence and teamwork. We also spent time reintroducing the site and reminding ourselves of Forest School rules, as lots has changed over the last two years. The activities were buzzing! Woodwork was especially popular, with children carefully using tiny nails and pieces of wood to create some fantastic models. Tree climbing was a hit too, wi...
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Hawthorn class week 6

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Our Year 5 children had a brilliant time at Forest School today! We kicked things off with a Christmassy-themed treasure hunt. Each pair had their own clue, sending us adventuring all around the school grounds… and the final class clue led us to a Christmas tree decorated with treats!   Once we were back at our site, the children got busy whittling and carving using hazel wood. They’re becoming so skilled and confident with the peelers, using them safely and sensibly. Some children also had a go at fire striking, while others used greenery to create their own mini wreaths. A big shout-out to Ted, who did a fantastic job chopping all the kindling for our fire!  Some children simply enjoyed playing in the woodland, relaxing on the swings and chilling in the hammock. The class helped set and lay the fire, and I even left it in the very capable hands of two responsible boys who kept it going beautifully. We ended our session with the perfect winter treat: s’mores and hot chocolate...
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Beech class week 4

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  What a beautiful sunny afternoon we had at Forest School today! Our Year 1 children travelled down to the site in all sorts of fun ways — rolling, jumping, hopping — and a very enthusiastic group helped pull the trolley, singing songs from their Christmas show all the way! Once we arrived, the children got stuck into some brilliant activities. They used the bow saw to slice wooden discs for Christmas decorations, then carefully used palm drills to make tiny holes ready to add a piece of real Christmas tree.  We chopped up firewood, built cosy dens for the soft toys, and even spotted a friendly robin and  squirrel! A big well done to Poppy, who got the fire going for us! 🔥 We cooked delicious halloumi with rosemary and sage, and toasted bread to spread with butter and jam — the perfect Forest School treat. 😋🍞
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