Forest School

Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supports risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.

Forest School has a developmental ethos shared by thousands of trained practitioners around the world, who are constantly developing their learning styles and skills to support new and imaginative learners. Its roots reach back to the open-air culture, or free air life, seen as a way of life in Scandinavia where Forest School began. It arrived in the UK in 1993 and has grown from strength to strength since then.

Forest School at Shorncliffe Nursery, Childcare For Children From 2-5 Years

Why Forest School?

The process helps and facilitates more than knowledge-gathering, it helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to try stuff out and take risks. Forest School inspires a deep and meaningful connection to the world and an understanding of how a learner fits within it. Our approach to risk means that learners constantly expand on their abilities by solving real-world issues, building self-belief and resilience. We believe that risk is more than just potential for physical harm, but a more holistic thing, there are risks in everything we do, and we grow by overcoming them. Forest School therefore, helps participants to become, healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners.

There is lots of research out there to support the outcomes of Forest School, but we know that it isn’t just the educational outcomes and research that matter, our learners and leaders love it too!

What Do We Do?

Each term the nursery works alongside trained practitioners to deliver forest school activities in a safe natural area by the nursery, The nursery uses our planning and next steps to develop and deliver activities to promote learning outdoors. For example, the bear hunt story, children read the story together around a campfire and then went on an adventure to find the bear, through the swishy swashy grass, the thick squelchy mud etc. Using different physical movements to move around the area exploring, look for bugs and clues. Making caves and the resources they needed for their adventure using their imagination and critical thinking skills. Experience different senses and textures, all followed by roasting marshmallows and drinking hot chocolate around the fire. Each session we plan a new adventure

Why Choose Us?

Shorncliffe Nursery

Our Term Time Sessions

Monday - Friday
8-12pm: Long Morning
9-12pm: Short Morning
12-3pm: Short Afternoon
12-4pm: Long Afternoon
9-3pm: School Day
8-4pm: Full Day

How To Find Us

Shorncliffe Nursery
Mackenzie Drive
Folkestone
CT20 3LR

Important Documents