Forest Schools

  Background

Forest schools within the UK were originally founded and developed in Sweden in the 1950’s and then it was adopted by Denmark where it then became a great importance to educating in the early years. It then later spread across Europe and eventually was introduced into Britain in the mid-1990s. O’Brien and Murray (2006) identified that the number of forest schools in Britain have significantly increased since they have been introduced into the county, all different in their own unique way.

Why are Forest schools so popular?

Forest schools are suited for all age groups and have become highly popular because of the major impact on the different learning developments. Tovey (2007) identified that the forest is considered a “wilder, riskier, scarier space” which offers children that feeling of going on a ‘great adventure’ unlike popping out into the school garden. The main principles that a Forest school aims to develop are a positive and motivating attitude towards learning, Forest Schools (2012) discovered that the children who were taking part with the forest school programme were achieving much better in school rather than the children from the city. It also helps to raise children’s self-esteem and confidence to make choices and to take riskier options allowing them to express themselves to a greater dagree.

What take place at a Forest school?

O’Brien (2009) explains that at Forest schools children take part in a range of different activities that challenges their everyday developments. The children get the chance to use tools that they may not be able to use at their urban homes, climb trees, make a rope bridge, and create objects with natural materials and so on. Knight (2009) believes that the forest school provides children with appropriate early years’ experience.

 References

Forest School (2012) Retrieved 20^th April 2013 from About us: A History of Forest Schools. http://www.forestschools.com/a-history/

Knight, S. (2009) Forest Schools & Outdoor Learning in the Early Years. London : SAGE.

O’Brien, L. and Murray, R. (2006) A Marvellous opportunity for children to learn: A participatory evaluation of Forest School in England and Wales. Surrey: Forest Research.

O’Brien, L. (2009) Learning Outdoors: the Forest School approach. Surrey: Forest Reseach.

Tovey, H. (2007) Playing Outdoors: Spaces and Places, Risk and Challenge. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education.