Although the Forest School initiative
may still seem like a fairly fresh and new movement in the UK, it is in fact
grounded on a heritage of outdoor learning dating back to the 19th century. It has however grown in
popularity and social regard in recent years. The following section of the blog
will tell the story of Forest Schools from the writer’s perspective focussing
on key developments within the UK. The compilation of this post was supported greatly
by secondary research which will all be referenced at the end of this entry.
The ideologies and theories of distinguished
educators within the UK including the likes of Wordsworth, Susan Isaacs and the
Macmillan sisters have all contributed the foundations and main philosophies of
the scheme referred to as “Forest School”
today. Their work all encapsulated the importance of outdoor learning in the
Early Years centuries ago. In particular the work of Margaret McMillan
(1860-1931) alongside her sister, demonstrated an imaginative and open air
approach which strikes correlations with our current approach to Forest Schools
and outdoor experiences.
1970s/80s: The education system within
the UK progressed toward an outcome-centred approach in order to improve children’s
academic skills and thus saw the introduction of the national curriculum.
Arguably in response to this, there was a growth of ‘alternative’ educational
models which rebelled from the strict regimented structure of the national
curriculum and it is in this context that Forest School emerged.
1993:
A team of British nursery nurses visited Denmark to look at the pre-school
system. These individuals returned to the UK inspired by the outdoor
based, child-centred ethos employed by the Danish practitioners. Consequently
they developed their own 'Forest School' emulating what they had learned with
children attending their settings. This resulted in the development of a course
in Forest School which was offered Early Years practitioners across the UK.
This opportunity built on the UK’s outdoor learning heritage and soon Forest
School was being offered around the UK.
2002:
A group of practitioners shared the first national conference in which a
definition of Forest School within the UK was formulated: 'An inspirational process that offers
children, young people and adults regular opportunities to achieve, develop
confidence and self esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a local
woodland environment.' (History of Forest School)
2002-
Present: Various other
progressions have been made in the field of Forest School learning. Many
settings now have trained Forest School practitioners and the movement is ever
growing and becoming more highly regarded. The production of this blog is
another means by which the movement is being promoted and shared between
practitioners in the UK and beyond.
The question at present is: Will the
Forest School movement last, will it eventually become an embedded element of
the national curriculum or will it fade like many other social trends within
the Early Years sector. It is up to this generation of UK practitioners to
decide...
Original post by Georgia
Original post by Georgia
It's fantastic to see that the history of playing outside has been carried through and that alot of the original reasons for developing forest schools are still in place today. As a mother of two young boys who loved to explore the woods and make things from sticks and mud, I have always been completely supportive of playing outside. Therefore i'm glad to see there are now actual training courses in place to promote these opportunities for everyone.
ReplyDeleteThat's brilliant Pam, its lovely to hear of a parent who loves outdoor play! As i'm sure you have seen through your sons lovely creations, the benefits in regards to creativity and natural art skills really are endless! The training courses are also great and offer a lot of guidance on how practitioners can give the children the best experiences possible!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your contributions,
Sophie and the team!
I did not realise they have been in the UK for over 10 years. I have only heard of them in the last few years. Do you know what has suddenly caused them to become so popular recently?
ReplyDeleteIt became so popular in the UK because of the benefits it offered to children's development and learning. The experiences hold a lot of benefits that meet the requirements of the EYFS Development Matters. It also taught children to be more resilient and learn great life skills. Forest schools were also a brilliant way of making good use of materials during the recession as it is all economically affordable.
DeleteKeep a look out on the blog for more information of the benefits of Forest Schools.
I think the growth of the FS movement is also due to people reacting against our 'risk averse' society and the fact that children are no longer playing freely outside at home or in settings as experienced by previous generations. We also went through a period in early years when outdoor play did not seem to be as highly valued as indoor play associated with learning - but I am sure you will be covering the research around these issues on the blog at some stage!! Good luck
DeleteThank you for your comment, we will be covering risk and challenge and how this benefits learning, we will also be covering how practitioners can support this and current concepts of forest school, and so much more.
DeleteI agree that a risk adverse society has made forest school so special as research has shown children do not access outdoors like past generations and now we can enable children to experience their natural world and meaningful learning experiences particularly regarding risk and challenge.
I do not think it will become an embedded element of the curriculum and whilst I like the idea of Forest Schools, for children's centres like the one I work in they are unrealistic. We are an inner city children centre in a mainly council estate area and we would not be able to acces or fund Forest School learning. So whilst a nice idea is just not realistic for some :(
ReplyDeleteI have to say i would have completely agreed if you had asked me this a few months ago. However from studying forest schools as part of my degree i have learnt that anything is possible as long as you're willing to try. My current setting is a setting that lacks the resources of a forest school due to its surroundings of houses and shops however we found that after speaking with the local authorities we were able to just take a disposable BBQ to the local park and toast marshmallows, gaining some of the experiences that a forest school would hole. We were also lucky enough to have a member of the staff who came from the Forest of Dean who were able to bring along some logs and things so we could set up our own forest school area in our garden.
DeleteThanks, Sophie and the team!!
FS experience is even more beneficial for children who live in inner cities and lack opportunities to get in touch with nature! There are plenty of sites around for children to visit on a regular basis - this is often what happens in Denmark and the UK. Try contacting your local Wildlife Trust to find the site nearest the Children's Centre or your LA about the sites they use.
DeleteThat's a great idea, thanks Ann!!
DeleteThe local authority will be aware of forest school sites in your area, the forestry commission are also a valuable resource to try and bring forest schools into settings, they can provide a wide range of natural resources. Whilst researching I also found a website that enables you to look for forest schools within each county and to promote best practice many settings would be happy to share their space for forest school to enable children to experience out door learning in a natural environment. It's true in Denmark children travel from the cities to parks and other natural areas and this is part of the curriculum for some.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.forestschools.com/find-your-local-forest-school/