ABOUT
What is Forest School?
Forest School is a unique educational experience and process that offers children the opportunity to succeed and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland environment.
 
The Forest School concept originates in Denmark, originally aimed at pre-school children, where it was found that children who had attended forest school then arrived at school with strong social and communication skills, having the ability to work in groups effectively, generally had high self-esteem and a confidence in their own abilities. These foundations helped them to raise their academic achievements.
 
A Forest School encourages children to:
  • develop personal and social skills
  • work through practical problems and challenges
  • use tools to create, build or manage tasks and develop motor skills
  • discover how they learn best
  • build confidence in decision making and evaluating risk
  • understand the benefits of a balanced and healthy lifestyle
  • explore connections between humans, wildlife and the earth
  • regularly experience achievement and success with knowledge that interests them
  • develop their language and communication skills
 
Brookwood Outdoors are based in Durham and are passionate about educating children about the outdoors and leaning all the skills that come with that. We also believe it’s very important to connect with the outdoors as so many children due to safety and technology don’t actually ‘play’ outside anymore. We provide children the opportunity to access skills which they may never experience.


Why Forest School?
Forest school embraces the outdoors as an inspirational and fun learning environment.

What will the Children learn?
Apart from the specific activities and skills they do they will benefit from enhancing their life skills, confidence, cooperative social skills, fine and gross motor skills, team work, language skills, emotional literacy, risk taking, self-esteem, resilience & nurture with nature!

We are:
  • Level 3 Forest School qualified
  • PGCE qualified
  • 20 years experience in education and training
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
  • Fully DBS checked
  • Outdoor & paediatric first aid trained
  • Fully insured

Sites are fully risk assessed. We have lots of outdoor experience with children and activities and we work closely with Norwegian Forest School practitioners to make sure we are in touch with the original concept.