Grimsdell’s inspirational Forest School provides opportunities for children to really immerse themselves within the natural environment.

At Grimsdell we encourage and inspire every pupil by providing positive hands-on experiences and opportunities to explore the outdoor environment. This helps pupils to develop a sense of connection and love for nature and the outdoors.

Forest School allows pupils to become reasoned risk takers, gain confidence in their actions, gain greater resilience, improve their independence, and have a greater sense of wellbeing from their experiences in Forest School. This is achieved by engaging in activities such as shelter building, tree climbing, leaf, flower and minibeast identification, tool skills, fire lighting, cooking and environmental art.

Pupils also have the opportunity to learn how to use tools such as bow saws, mallets, peelers, loppers and palm drills. These are gradually introduced to the children along with a structured safety talk which the children soon become familiar with.

The use of different tools, alongside learning about fires and fire safety in Forest School, will help to equip the children with some practical skills that they can apply throughout their life.

Pupils learn to problem solve and think critically in the forest. This means that when they return to school their capacity for learning and their focus is strengthened. These new skills can then be applied to different situations within the classroom.

"By engaging in regular Forest School sessions, the children develop a more rounded educational experience, as well as a deeper understanding of the world and the environment around them." Lorraine Staniford, Forest School Coordinator