St John's Church of England School

Forest schools in St Johns

We are very lucky to have our own Forest Schools area within St. John’s school where the children are able to experience the wonders of outdoor learning and Forest Schools. The children thrive when they visit the Forest Schools area and are always eager to return. Research has shown a strong relationship between forest school participation, wellbeing, resilience and nature connectedness.

What is Forest Schools and why is it important?

It is believed that children need to be close to the wider world, exploring and discovering new things in order to have a better understanding of their place within it. When children are given the opportunity to explore the outdoors, a whole world is opened up for them. They encounter and experience all weathers, temperatures and sceneries that are not man-made or controlled by the adults around them; creating learning that is more extensive and deeper because it is not pre-determined.

Forest Schools helps to learn life skills, such as staying safe. Children need to learn the importance of risk in order to develop into an adult with a good balance of emotions.  Children are encouraged to take risks and learn skills that improve their overall development through taking part in child-led activities. It is important that children learn at their own pace in the natural environment; being encouraged by adults and not controlled. By allowing children to explore and learn for themselves it improves their confidence as it provides stimulation through the freedom of the outdoors.

It is important that children experience play and learning in both the outdoor and indoor context. The outdoors allows children to experience different opportunities for their physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual growth. By ensuring children are given the opportunity to explore their environment from a young age, in a way that suits them, it benefits their overall development.