About us
Forest School is an educational ethos which develops confidence, creativity and communication skills through long term participant-led experiences in a woodland/natural environment. This setting offers opportunities for children to develop a connection with the natural world. It is learner-led and responsive to individual needs and interests. Being learner led means that choice and free play are integral parts of forest school; forest school is a process, not a product.
Each of our practitioners develop their approach through observation, planning and building relationships with their participants; in this way, our sessions cater for all learning needs and preferences.
Impact, Outcomes and Key Performance Indicators
Observation and scaffolding are vital to our forest school planning to ensure individual preferences and interests are met and that activities/experiences develop in a logical sequence as children gain skills.
The holistic approach of forest school promotes self-esteem, empathy and enjoyment.
Encouraging our learners to take supported risks is a significant part of forest school. It is a place where our practitioners’ training and experience enables children and young people to ‘try things out’ within their individual parameters, whether that is a physical, emotional or social ‘risk’, enabling participants to make their own decisions about what they want to learn, how and when.
In this way, forest school fosters resilience, independence and creativity.
Being a forest school practitioner is in itself a continuous learning process as we engage in reflective practice and use this to plan future sessions, in addition to developing our own skill sets. Our team of practitioners regularly participate in informal and formal opportunities to share experiences, knowledge, ideas, concerns etc to ensure our practice responds to children and young people’s needs.
How to access
Please complete this brief referral form to start the process.
How we deliver
Most sessions take place at our site at Dukes Hagg wood in Prudhoe.
We can work flexibly with children, young people and their families to deliver initial sessions in spaces that are already known and safe for them, for example a local park or the family garden. In some cases we will work indoors with young people when this could lead to a trusting relationship for outdoor engagement.
How we report attendance
Our team will report to the key contact on the referral details if a child/young person is not in attendance on a day they are meant to be.
Our key contacts
Kate Dix kate.dix@stomping-grounds.org 07778 416768
- Day to day: katie.thompson@stomping-grounds.org 07719 067 239
- Safeguarding: katie.thompson@stomping-grounds.org 07719 067 239