Six Principles of Forest School

 

At Thomas A Becket we base our Forest School experiences for our children on the six principles of Forest School:

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1. Developing a relationship between learners and the natural world that features mutuality and compassion.

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2. Facilitating a programme of regular contact with the natural world that make deeper, caring nature connections.

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3. Working in a learner-centred way whereby an ‘equal’ learning community is developed where there is a combination of autonomous and communal learning, featuring joint decision making regarding the learning. Forest School follows a constructivist approach whereby the learning, in and of, the real natural world and the learners themselves emerges.

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4. Risk taking in a safe context is encouraged, enabling learners to move into their learning zones where they can manage their own risks, be they emotional, physical, cognitive or social risks.

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5. Developing the whole person, supporting cognitive processes and fostering creative, resilient, physically healthy independent learners.

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6. Practitioners who are qualified and continually reflect on, question and develop, their own learning and Forest School facilitation.