1 day a week of forest school while at primary school?

[Amipeanuts]

My son is struggling slightly (in Yr 2) with the school environment and as a pretty normal 6 year old needs to be outside, running, playing etc. It was a hard start at Reception but a great journey since. However, the school called me yesterday and made a massive issue about his behaviour at a school trip - when he was just being a bit misbehaved. He didnt want to go to school today and said he doesnt like his school. More to it obviously than I can write here but wondering if anyone has taken their kids out of school 1 day a week to do forest school? Or am I mad?

You're not mad. The system here is simply not based on an understanding of normal human development, it's childcare and has changed very little from when schooling was set up during the industrial revolution to prep workers for the workplace. In countries where kids don't start formal education until 7, mental health is better, as well as educational outcomes. So no, definitely not mad!

But that doesn't necessarily help with you working out what to do next. Would the school be ok with you flexischooling to put him in forest school one day? I'm wondering if that day may make him hate it even more though, what is your hunch?

I've taken mine out for 1/2 a day FS a week. Counts as alternative provision.

Our school system is archaic and still only geared up to support more academic children. It needs a complete overhaul and I can completely understand why you would want to do that.

It could make "actual" school even harder though as he'd be missing a lot of what they cover. I'd certainly find out more though!

Thanks for responding. Makes me feel a little better for not being mad. I feel like the system fails him. And I got called in from the Head so
she could tell me about his terrible behaviour that didnt “represent school values” and I felt like I was at school being told off. I said to her that maybe hes having an off day (as I have not been called in before) and she was judging my parenting. She then asked for us to speak to him together, so she can see that he understood what he did - and I said no - I need to speak to my child alone first. He got told off by the class teacher, then Head teacher, then I got called in. And he didnt commit a crime, he was just being a bit feral. You know, like kids can be sometimes. Makes me feel like I fail him so much having stuck him in a system like that. I appreciate that sometimes hes a lot - he wont sit and be quiet for hours like some children will but I worry he is made to feel really shitty about just being a kid and having a bloody off day - like we all do.

I feel like I need to make a change but I have a) no clue what to do to help him b) working so I cant really homeschool c) feeling terrible and have a gut feeling that the system is not for him. Hes a happy, interested, intelligent, very active little boy who just needs to be handled with care and love, not “not nice voices” and being told that he wont go on the next trip… :(

Sounds great! Are you in the UK? And does the school need to accept this I presume? How did you go about it?

You are probably right. Once he sees life outside of this 9-3 then he probably wont want to go back and why would he. Feel like im trapped :(

People do do it as a flexischool arrangement. The Headteacher needs to agree to it though.

Yes, UK. I found the place. The teacher used is a fully qualified teacher therefore counting as acceptable (in the schools eyes). We went for a trial day together. School knew where we were going and haven't quibbled. I think if they can count it as alternative provision, it doesn't affect their attendance figures and honestly, that is all they care about.

I'd love to do two afternoons a week but I'd be hard pushed to afford it.

It’s an excellent idea. Some rural schools do forest school one day in any case.

It sounds to me like you might be better pulling him out completely and home educating, where you can add as much forest school to his day(s) as you wish.

Clearly you don't see anything wrong with your child acting, in your own words, "a bit feral" and do not wish to support the school in disciplining him for his misbehaviour. It's highly important children follow instructions in order to stay safe when out on a trip. If your son was acting "a bit feral", it doesn't sound like he was being safe. Therefore the school would be well within their rights to say they are unwilling to take him out of school again, where they are responsible for him. If something bad had happened to him, because he was misbehaving, you'd blame them, right? I understand why they would be unwilling to take that risk again, especially as you are making it clear that you, as his mum, don't see misbehaviour on a trip as a big deal and are unwilling to support them in helping your son to understand that his behaviour wasn't acceptable.

If you are unwilling to work with the school and don't believe it's the right setting for him, take him out completely for everyone's sake.

We live in a fairly built up seaside area, and DS' state primary does a whole day forest school for every class every 2.5 weeks. The children love it. It's productive not just tearing about but he comes home filthy, exhausted and happy. It was one of the things we loved most about the school. It surprised me when he was in reception and as soon as it rained lots of parents thought it should be cancelled. They just put puddle suits and wellies on. There should be more activity built into the school day. Lots of children are there from 8:30 until 4/5:30 with ASC because so many homes have two working parents these days. Ds is y2 and there seems to be much less play. Could you look around locally and see if any schools have outdoor learning as part of their offer?

Dont think your answer contributes or helps but thanks for voicing your opinion.

Thank you so much! I will look into this properly and see whats around where we are.

Don't minimize his behaviour on the trip. Even small misdemeanors can be a big deal and have massive implications when you're responsible for 30 young children out and about.

I have a Y2 who needs a lot more physical than school can give. If you can get the school to agree to flexischooling, great, but not many are keen because lessons are taught in sequence so if he regularly misses 1 day a week it will impact his learning in the next lesson in the sequence. We try to combat the stillness at school with lots of 'big' movement outside school. DC rides his bike to school so we go a long way round to/from school to burn energy. Parkour at the park after school as much as possible. He does free sports clubs before and after school a few days a week. Just anything he can do to burn energy.

His school had a forest school day every year but it’s only for one term! Unfortunately. So its now over and done with. And trying to find something after 3:30pm before it gets dark that gets him outside running, being free etc is almost impossible this time of year right? Yes, Y2 here as well and not enough time in the day to play. And it goes by so quickly I want to stop and try and take it a bit slower.

Doesn't help in what way? You don't believe his school is the right setting for him, because they discipline him for what you perceive to be minor misbehaviour. You believe your child would be better off in a more active, physical environment free from the restraints of a classroom. So get him out of there. That's my advice. What is unhelpful about that?

I was also trying to help you understand the school's point of view, regarding misbehaviour on a trip. It's different to misbehaviour in the classroom. Misbehaviour on a trip could place a child in serious danger and cause all sorts of headaches for staff. It's not easy organising a trip at the best of times. Throw in behaviour which is "a bit feral" and it makes for a really tricky situation which must be addressed with the parents.

Clearly I have touched a nerve but I'm pointing out that your son does not have to attend school to receive an education. If you don't agree with the system, why only opt out for one day? Go the whole hog and home educate.

Our state primary used to get them to do a mile run every day, usually in the morning but the two boys with ADHD did get to do it when they got a bit loud if they wanted to as well. Might be worth asking if they can do something similar when he begins to start up? If he is being naughty it might make him think twice, if he needs to get it out then it should help!

When my DS was about 5, school insisted that I gave him ADHD meds. They want the kids to be compliant and easy, they don't care if it's good for the kids.

I'm amazed that school did this. Was it a teacher?
Did your son have a diagnosis of ADHD?
Had he seen a clinical psychologists??

Absolutely this. If you can’t see a problem with your son behaving badly on a trip then you need to move him from the school. Feral behaviour puts all children at risk and no whining on about needing to run around in a forest excuses it.

Who was assessing a child under 6 for adhd? In our area no one would consider it NHS or private.

You can do flexi schooling but it’s down to individual teschers to agree and often they don’t.

yy to exercise and proprocetive input before and after school. Weather is awful here at the moment but skipping cycling to and from school is not worth the emotional dysregulation which comes with it.

OP - if you flexischooled, it would have to be with the agreement of the head, so building a positive relationship would be important.
If your son did forest school would you self fund? I am only aware of this being funded where send or very specific circumstances are involved and the LEA deem it in the child's best interests to provide some for of alternative provision.
Otherwise I think your options are looking for a different school (it could be tricky to find one that offers much in the form of outside continuous provision as your son moves up the school) or home schooling.

Love how you defend your son’s behaviour without any accountability or consequences. “A bit feral” probably means his behaviour also ruined or at least made the trip difficult for other children and the teachers. My child goes to school with misbehaving children and I’m utterly fed up how everything is ruined by badly behaved brats and how the parents take zero responsibilities for their child’s behaviour.
It’s always someone’s else’s fault: the school’s, the teachers, the system, maybe neurodivergence and even the bad weather now.

I have to say I agree with this.

can you home school? There are two things here:

a) your wish to do things differently
b) your views on discipline

that indicate this school is not right for him/you.

if you need him to continue there I would up the sports after school no matter how dark and cold. Try with forest school but I would think carefully about how you’ll cover what he’s missed. When and how will you fill that in? Year 2 isn’t that full on yet. How will you deal with this when he’s in year 4 or is this intended as a short term solution?

My toddler boy attends forest school nursery and we are already dreading the transition to primary. I come from a very academic family and loved school but my DH was totally failed by school who tried to fit him into an academic mould and when he didnt fit, cast him aside. He’s now, from his own hard work and determination (via the forces) an incredibly well respected and gifted engineer who finally got a degree in his 30s. Since our toddler shows many of the same personality traits we have an interest in how he is going to cope at school.

I would return to the school to ask what measures they are taking to support his engagement, particularly in light of well-established educational and developmental research showing declining levels of engagement among young boys and a persistent attainment gap between boys and girls. Evidence indicates that boys often struggle in traditional classroom settings where opportunities for physical movement are limited, despite movement being essential for cognitive development, self-regulation, attention, and sustained engagement in learning. His behaviour was poor on the school trip and you’re happy to support the school in preventing future occurrences, but you need to know what their plan is to help him re-connect with their environment. This is the crucial time where he will either embrace school and its opportunities or feel completely abandoned by them. They need to build his trust, not destroy it.

I should add both my mother (secondary, comp) and my mother in law (primary comp) were life long teachers, so no hatred of the profession, and sympathy for the extreme levels of work and dediation required along with the multitude of regulations, criteria and hideously reduced resources they have to work with. British schools are in the hideous position of trying to teach a curriculum completely wrong for the age group they’re meant to be engaging with. However it’s only by connecting with the school management team, and asking strong and educated (research backed) questions, forcing the schools to ask the questions themselves that will change policy further up. It stops the easiest route which is to blame the child, because everyone has to show their hand, and you can demonstrate you’re an engaged parent who wants to improve the relationship between child and school.