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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to hate Forest School?

403 replies

thetreelooksnice · 01/02/2018 18:08

That's it. My kids hate it. They get cold and muddy. It was OK when they were younger but now they want to stay in the warm to study!

OP posts:
Redwineistasty · 02/02/2018 22:19

Maybe my view is skewed gert as it’s been at the forefront of my work for many years.

PirateMother · 02/02/2018 23:06

We do Forest School with unemployed 17yr olds. They love it.

ReanimatedSGB · 02/02/2018 23:31

Oh there's definitely an aspect of 'make the academic ones suffer' going on with some posters. Same as previous generations used to pressure the clever, bookish kids into doing sport when they hated it, and be positively gleeful at how miserable they were in a muddy field having balls thrown at them.

(Good luck anyone trying to make my kid miserable by sending him outside though - his love of books/computers and his love of woods and wildlife are about equally matched...)

Eolian · 02/02/2018 23:43

Really? My academic dc would far rather forage in the forest than go up against the non-academic football kids on the sports field.

BraayTigger · 02/02/2018 23:47

My just turned 3 yr old DD absolutely loves forest school. It’s the highlight of the week for her. They go out to the woods for circa 5hrs and get a bus there and back. She loves it. However, on the day she goes I put multiple layers on her-thermal/fleece, jumper and then she wears waterproof freece lined all in one snow-suit, fleece lined waterproof boots and hat,snood etc. It’s the clothing that’s a problem if ur children don’t enjoy it. It’s a great adventure for them.

GreenTulips · 02/02/2018 23:47

A couple of people on this thread are really weirdly gleeful about the 'academic' kids being made to do something they hate - as if they deserve punishment for being clever confused

Well last one I checked schools were all inclusive and that uncles the no academics the future builders and plumbers, farmers and us drivers - so whildnsime may prefer to warmth and a good book, others enjoy the outdoors a using their strengths to build and climb.

Schools aren't there just to push the academics - they are there to give children the chance to shine and become outstanding citizens we can all be proud of

GreenTulips · 02/02/2018 23:48

One - time
Uncles - includes
While some -

Sorry it's late

cheval · 02/02/2018 23:50

Someone please explain to me what a forest school is?

GrockleBocs · 02/02/2018 23:58

Eolian yes. As I said on p3 or something of this, it is the only thing my Aspie does outdoors! That's why I love it.

Hera2018 · 03/02/2018 00:09

redwineistasty - sorry my post was meant sarcastically in response to others saying learning about nature is a waste of time if you live in a city. Or maybe they were being sarcastic too!

Redwineistasty · 03/02/2018 00:10

Grin hera I did think it was an odd post!

Hera2018 · 03/02/2018 00:15

I know, my posts never seem to come out like i mean them to, i am not a very eloquent mumsnetter Sad

Hera2018 · 03/02/2018 00:17

Cheval - www.forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest-school/

Redwineistasty · 03/02/2018 00:19

Neither am I Grin

Hera2018 · 03/02/2018 00:20

Schools aren't there just to push the academics - they are there to give children the chance to shine and become outstanding citizens we can all be proud of
Well said!!

furchesterhotel · 03/02/2018 07:09

Forest School is great for the lower academic achievers. At the older ages it is boring for the higher flyers though. We're not talking anatomy of an insect or something that could contribute to exam study, we're talking mud pies and lighting a fire.

The times that I have heard "They look so cuuute sat around under a tree" eyeroll . There is a reason the senior schools don't continue this!

OneInEight · 03/02/2018 07:19

Disagree. I get a lot of kids don't like it but not sure you can correlate to academic ability. ds1 is a high achiever and still enjoys it. On the other hand disliking getting wet and cold is not the preserve of those with degrees!

brizzledrizzle · 03/02/2018 07:24

You can get the base layers etc in Aldi

stuffstuffeverywhere · 03/02/2018 07:34

What's with the stuff about it being middle class?

Are working class kids only capable of sitting at home, watching sky and eating macdonalds then?

Why is anything good or positive for kids immediately branded middle class?

furchesterhotel · 03/02/2018 07:46

stuff They are saying "middle class" because of the way it is taught. This isn't "survival", this isn't helping out in the community doing litter pickup and learning at the same time, this isn't passing on the old skills such as drystone walling and ditch digging... this is the equivalent of pick your own strawberries as opposed to working on a farm.

Thus "middle class".

There is only so many hours in a day. Our school dropped community work to spend a tenth of the school week making shoe racks out of wood (usually the bits the last class had used) and string, the sort of stuff that is taught in guides and scouts anyway.

Mammamore · 03/02/2018 07:47

Think there's a lot of misinformation going round about this. Forest School isn't any one 'thing' or 'place' or 'activities' - but the fact that it's been proven to work to improve health and wellbeing (Natural Conbection project, Scotland) means that some schools, nurseries or other establishments are pinning the name on any old rubbish they do outside. FS is supposed to be child led, so is difficult to adopt well within schools that follow the national curriculum as they usually want things done at a certain time in a certain way.
Of course you need to layer up - if you are spending any time outside then you need suitable clothing, whether that is lots of layers/waterproofs/sunhat and sunscreen. But FS is inclusive so if your child doesn't have those things then there are usually spares to borrow.
I am so surprised at the negative comments about going outside! Outside is the real world - once we have used up the last of our oil reserves (very soon!) our children will need to know what is out there in order to keep life going. If we don't bring our children up literate in nature then they are not going to thank us for it in the future when they don't know how to fix all the damage we have caused.
However, I have seen a lot of rubbish passed off as Forest School, just because it's got the attention of Ofsted by helping children perform well across the board. If your child is hating an opportunity to light fires, make rope swings, toast marshmallows, saw logs, do willow craft, race snails, make charcoal and be creative and imaginative outside then something is being done wrong. Group dynamics may not be being handled in the right way as the aim and ethos of FS is that every child has their needs catered for.

Headofthehive55 · 03/02/2018 07:49

hotel
I agree. If you can't do your maths it might be fun to make mud pies, but I don't think it beneficial for higher academic achievers.
Which mine is. He's not learning and it's not that beneficial for him. I get that the curricula has to fit all, but it's not fitting mine.

Mammamore · 03/02/2018 07:52

There is so much value to doing maths in relevant situations! If Forest School isn't meeting your son's needs, blame the leader. Not Forest School in general.

Mammamore · 03/02/2018 07:53

But also, contrary to what Michael Gove may think, learning is not all about maths.

ragged · 03/02/2018 07:54

a lot of rubbish passed off as Forest School

yup, that's what we got. only the rubbish, and none of the

"... light fires, make rope swings, toast marshmallows, saw logs, do willow craft, race snails, make charcoal"

etc. I'd be astounded if any child at our forest school was allowed to do a single one of those... maybe the willow craft? but they might get dirty or splinters so probably not.