Forest Schools is an outdoor education delivery model in which children visit natural spaces to learn personal, social and technical skills. It has been defined as:
"an inspirational process that offers children, young people regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence through hands-on learning in a woodland environment"
Forest schools at Rackham uses our beautiful woodland and forest area to build independence and self- esteem in our pupils. At Rackham, our forest school topics are cross-curricula (broad in subject) including the natural environment, for example the role of trees in society, the complex ecosystem supported by a wilderness, and recognition of specific plants and animals. Similarly, we focus on the personal skills, such as teamwork and problem solving as well as the physical benefits of lifting and digging and building dens or building fires. On occassion our woodland environment may be used to learn about more abstract concepts such as mathematics and communication. Pupils and teachers alike really enjoy forest school lessons and we feel very fortunate to have the necessary space and resources to make our sessions so effective and meaningful.
