Forest schools in a rural area - convince me!

[ninah]

I hear a lot about the benefits of forest schools and tbh I struggle to understand the buzz. Our local school is already in a rural area, lots of children from farms, who grow veg, keep livestock etc - all things they do outside school. Personally I'd prefer that in school they learned basic academic skills, but I'm aware this is old fashioned and cantakerous. Looks like we have ofsted soon, so the school is making lots of sudden 'improvements' and no doubt this has made me feel even more cynical.
Would you prefer your 5-6 year old learned to make a fire, or learned to read and write? I know they are not mutually exclusive skills, but I am struggling with teaching emphasis for ds's class. Really appreciate some views on this, I need to stop feeling so grumpy!

My kids school isn't a forest school as such. But it certainly seems to improve their learning that they have an outside classroom for each of years r-2. They spend a lot of time outside doing numeracy etc. they also have a special outdoors space, which is used for all kinds of skills, including literacy. Instead of having 25 out of 30 children staring out of the window on sunny days, they are outside learning practically (actually they don't realise a lot of the time how much they are learning).
In fact in some ways it could be even more beneficial in rural areas where they know others are going to be outside all them time.
It can also give the children a chance to share learning.

The older kids BTW tend to use the neighbouring countryside (and have for years) to do big stuff such as: re-enact the War of the Roses, measure out Noah's ark, visit the bluebells (with lots of science, art and literacy associated) etc. They also do stuff like build the best shelter, and it is much better when you can pour buckets of water over it to test if it is water tight. I can see tonnes of science in building camp fires myself.

Actually the hardest thing to get in teaching is enthusiasm and "awe and wonder", if you can get those then at least the children will remember something.

We have a forest school about a mile away and the kids and parents all think it's great.

I'm sad we didn't choose that school to take DCs too - DS would have loved it!

ummmm.... we do teach the children to read and write! We don't spend all week building fires!

We started forest school this year, and I have to say that its greatest impact has been on the lower achievers, who struggle in class in nearly every lesson (life must be so tough for these children). In the woods, they thrive - they achieve their tasks and they are treated with equanimity by the other children (something that would not necessarily occur in the pecking order of the classroom). I would love to attach the beaming smile of one of my low achievers making a fairy wand! What a fine way to practice co-ordination skills.

And what a way to learn about the seasons - seeing the changes that occur in a set place.

I could ramble on with praises all day about this. Tarp erection and den building tomorrow..... team work.

Oh, and yes, we are in a rural area - the woods are 200m from the school. Some of the children had never been in them before.

I'll work on the 'awe and wonder' then
thanks for the responses

Living in a rural area does not mean you experience the ruralness of it. Not everyone in the country lives the Good Life. Some people just hardly ever go outdoors except to the car.

All that eggsit says.

Many 5/6 YO are unable to sit down and learn to read and write - they're just not ready. Trying to force it on them can mar their confidence for life. Teaching them how to climb trees and make fires sounds like a fine alternative to me.

MY DC's have been in a forest school setting since nursery and the forest aspect has enriched their experience more than any other aspect of the school (and they are both ahead of their chronological ages in the academic stuff too)

Google it for all the background on why it works so well.

I sooooooo wish there was a forest school near us. I would not then be dithering about whether to send dd to school at all.

No, I know the theory/background ... just sceptical. Taken on board your comments and will try to think more positively about it. I suppose all schools don't suit all children, that's bottom line. My older child would have been fine with this - ds not so sure, is a keen reader/writer who does plenty of outdoor stuff at home. Also it needs to be implemented in the right manner - the present outdoor space, while free access, is far from inspiring - a few logs a forest school don't make!

The forest school concept was introduced when my DS started in nursery 5 years ago and there was lots of sceptism from the parents. But the ones that had children at the school before it was introduced and then had their younger children go through it afterwards all approved of it. The only exception was the school mum who also wants the school to drop the nativity play on the grounds that her kids should be reciting the times table instead, and no-one listens to her because she's barking.

Prepare though to break out in sweat every now and then (the photo of my then 5yr old with a rambo knife 'whittling' was a memorable example)