OUTDOOR LEARNING
We are very privileged to be able to offer all of our children at East Allington access to a Forest School session every week. Forest School is a concept of learning outdoors, where children are offered the opportunity, by giving them small and achievable tasks, to achieve, develop self-confidence and self-esteem, through hands-on experiences in our outdoor space.
Children have the freedom to discover, play, explore and learn within our natural outdoor setting. Forest Schools has strong curriculum links and there is an element of choice built into each session where children are encouraged to learn from their decision making. They are given the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and themselves.
There is so much research into the proven benefits of outdoor learning and this enhances our beliefs about how important it is for children to be outside. We have a wonderful outdoor space at East Allington and we try to use it at all opportunities. One of our favourite sayings is ‘Why am I doing this indoors?’