Educational Visits and Forest School

Intent

Educational Visits and Forest School Activities enable children to develop self-regulation, social and leadership skills whilst deepening their understanding of the outside world and national curriculum knowledge.

At Woodloes Primary School, the pupils are provided with at least termly Forest School sessions (or more frequently for targeted individual and/or groups of learners).

Linked to the curriculum, year group teams plan at least one annual educational visit to enhance the learning within school. In addition to this, there is the opportunity for Year 6 pupils to attend a residential trip in the first half of the autumn term.

Implementation

Educational Visits and Forest School bring a wide variety of learning and skills development opportunities to pupils (that occur in addition to any subject specific based learning). This intrinsic learning is cross curricular and most strongly related to Science, PSHE, PE, Geography, and DT.

The learning focusses upon ensuring that everybody remains ‘Safe and Happy’:

Maintaining safety for themselves and others with respect to the widest possible variety of risks,
Maintaining a functional working relationship with all participants; understanding others and adapting their behaviour appropriately,
Developing a sustainable and caring relationship with the environment,
Negotiating and developing individual and group ideas,
Developing leadership skills,
Developing self-care skills,
Seeking support appropriately,
Appropriate behaviour in public,
Managing the safety and risks associated with activities from playing with sticks and string, to climbing, cooking, and knife work.

These sessions are planned and implemented by a member of school staff, or an external trained provider in the case of residential visits. Prior to these, appropriate risk assessments are completed and agreed by the EVC coordinator.

Impact

Educational Visits and Forest School activities ensure that children have the practical opportunities and support to develop self-regulatory and prosocial behaviours. They help children to develop into sensible, safe, socially aware and empathetic adolescents. Educational Visits and Forest School are not assessed according to the whole school approach as it is not appropriate, however assessments are made for the individual class and their needs, resulting in tailored, specific sessions which are engaging and insight progress.