Branch Into The Woods Forest School

Who we are

Branch Into The Woods is a Forest School that provides opportunities for children to make friendships and connect with nature in a safe child led environment. Facilitating play and allowing children to take acceptable risks, be creative and explore freely in a sensory rich environment, enables them to gain confidence, build resilience and make better risk assessments as young adults. Being outdoors, especially in nature, improves mental and physical health, and helps build a better immune system. For pre-schoolers especially, it helps develop the fine and gross motor skills needed to sit in a classroom and hold a pencil.

What is Forest School?

The 6 principles of Forest School [forestschoolassociation.org]

• Forest School is a long-term process of regular sessions, rather than one-off or infrequent visits; the cycle of planning, observation, adaptation and review links each session.

• Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a lifelong relationship between the learner and the natural world.

• Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for being, development and learning.

• Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.

• Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.

• Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners, who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.

Who we work with

We work with schools providing Forest School sessions and/or developing their Forest School areas. We offer Outdoor Learning as part of the curriculum and can also offer small group or 1:1 nurture sessions, for children who may require extra support. We also run after school clubs, woodland adventure days and parties.

Nurture through nature