Parents!
You need to know…
We will be out having fun in all weathers. You know that lovely Dutch saying, “There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing"? We agree! Please see below for required clothing.
We won’t cancel classes unless there is a weather warning where we deem conditions unsafe, or in the event of illness etc. in which we will offer a full refund. We don’t otherwise offer refunds, but you can reschedule up to 7 days in advance, free of charge. Please see our full policy here.
Our Forest School Leaders are DBS police certificate cleared and have Forest School Leader Level 3 or are qualified Teachers. A trained First Aider will always be on site.
What your child will need
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Bring for every session
Please assume that anything that comes to Forest & Beach school can and will get dirty.
Anytime
* A water bottle
* Comfortable closed toe shoes
* Old clothes that can get dirty
* A change of clothes
And of course… that Adventurous spirit!
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Weather dependant
Warm sunny days
To avoid sunburn or insect bites:
* Please come wearing sunscreen & insect repellent
* Long-sleeved top
* Long trousers
Cold, rainy days
We want toasty warm fingers & toes:
* Layers (e.g. T-shirt + long sleeve top + jumper + coat)
* Wellies
* Waterproof gloves
* Waterproof trousers/ dungarees
* Waterproof coat
NB. We might have spares if you don’t have some of these - just ask.
The Forest School Ethos
Child led play
We believe that children need to play. Really play without being restricted or instructed.
We present tons of learning opportunities during our sessions, but we also recognise that some phenomenal learning takes place during free play. This means that we will present learners with opportunities for activities, and if that day they prefer to dig in the soil, watch beetles, weave a fence, we’ll let them, adding our knowledge and insights where it’s useful. We know they might be fulfilling a natural curiosity or de-stressing in a healthy way, and as long as it’s safe and we can provide adequate supervision, we’ll embrace it.
This is called a ‘learner-centred pedagogical approach’ for those that want to understand more.
Risk taking
Some activities are inherently riskier than others, e.g. building fires, using tools, climbing trees. We won’t do any risky activities without first evaluating the Risk/ Benefit for your child ie. weighing up their ability and interest vs. the risks within the activity. Of course, we will always take all the necessary precautions to make the activity safe. Forest School should feel exciting but never dangerous.
You can read more these principles, and the other 4 core Forest School principles here.