Forest Schools in Cambridge?

[jas80]

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows anything about forest schools already existing or planned in Cambridge area? We're looking to buy a house so thinking about school catchment areas but so far the only forest school I've found is the Steiner School woodland kindergarten. Am keen for daughter to have exposure to a woodland setting not just in nursery/early years but if possible after that as well? The forest school movement seems to be gathering pace across the country but suprised not to have found more about it in Cambridge. (DD is only 1 so thinking ahead :) )

any thoughts would be welcome, also anyone with experience of the Steiner woodland kindergarten would love to hear about it

Newnham Croft Primary have links to Forest School - I vaguely remember them talking about it on my tour - a teacher from a school in Somerset visited & they've got links with this school now??

Hi there,
The Shirley School in Chesterton have Forest school. The children walk to a wooded area nearby once a week. My son loves it!
At the moment it is just Reception children but that may change in the future.
The school also has a good garden area and wild area with a pond. They take outdoor play and learning seriously which is great.

Forest school page:

www.shirley.cambs.sch.uk/index4.php?WEBYEP_DI=18

Main website:

www.shirley.cambs.sch.uk/index.php

I think Histon Infant School may do it too, but I would double check...

It's being introduced in Hardwick. I'm sure more and more schools are including forest school aspects in the curriculum, even if the school website doesn't scream FOREST SCHOOL. Contact the schools and ask.

As I understand it, being a fully-accredited forest school costs money. In these times of austerity, especially for Cambs schools which are the worst funded in the country, I imagine few schools have gone the whole hog. This doesn't mean they lack the will and enthusiasm, and outdoor learning may be being incorporated in the planning for new curriculums required from September.

Your DD is a bit young yet, but you could also look at pre-school activities at the Botanic Garden, Wandlebury, and local National Trust properties.

I know Colleges and Brunswick Nursery Schools do (or did) Forest School. Others may, too.

Thanks everyone, all v helpful suggestions. We definitely do, and plan on doing lots of activities outdoors with her ourselves but we're really hoping to find a school where the outdoors is really integrated into the curriculum on a regular basis, rather than as an occasional outing. We did like the look of the Shirley school but it's likely we'll be out of catchment so I'm guessing it would be unlikely she'd get a place there. I wouldn't mind getting involved as a parent volunteer if it would help a school integrate outdoor learning, will have to see what opportunities there might be for that.

Good luck jas80. As your daughter is only one, you have lots of time to explore your options.

Becoming a parent volunteer sounds a great idea and you can always express your interest in outdoor learning when you apply to be a volunteer at a school.

Cambridge Day Nursery do some forest schooling. They have a great woody area at the end of the playground with an accessible tree house, mud kitchen etc. And the outdoors is free-flow, so the kiddies can chose where they prefer to play. My daughter loves it there & seems to be outdoors come wind, rain or shine!

Stapleford Community Primary School has a large woodland learning area with its own moat, bridge and dens. They have huge grounds, so the children do loads of outdoors learning, and I think they are looking into forest school status. It's a great village to live in too.

The Fields Early Years Centre does Forest School as well.

And the international school have bought Abington campsite with the plan to run a forest school....

St Marys Ely do forest school as part of the curriculum. But there are lots of other options. Trying to remember who it was with but we have done various activities at Milton Country Park that I bet you would like, such as twilight bat walks and stuff. Possibly through some wildlife organisation but can't remember which. Lots of opportunities outside school. That way it is more optional in case your dc turns out not to be as outdoorsy as you hope.

Try this one: wovenwoods.wixsite.com/home