Learning at our forest school provides a holistic experience that offers opportunities that promote exploration, self-awareness, awareness of the world around us, develops resilience, confidence, self-esteem and supported risk-taking in a safe and supervised environment. Many of our staff are trained in forest schools and have been enjoying getting their wellies on alongside our pupils!
Here at Rathcoole Primary School and Nursery Unit, we have an extensive woodland area that supports our forest school activities in every class, from nursery to primary seven. Our forest school facilities also include an outdoor classroom, polytunnel and mud kitchen.
Our pupils enjoy forest school activities such as
- Den and shelter building
- Tree climbing
- Creating animal habitats
- Making campfires and cooking outdoors
- Using nature for arts and crafts
and much more!
Rathcoole PS and NU Forest School Handbook
What is Forest School?
Enjoying our sensory journeys in Forest Schools this week🦔🌿🍁🍂🌼
Camp Fires and hot chocolate with Forest School at Rathcoole
Our Forest School Diary : Click below to find more pictures and information
Forest School can develop early learning skills
Forest School provides unique outdoor learning experiences that focus on nurturing understanding and respect for nature, allowing learners to develop confidence and life skills.
Benefits of Forest Schools at Rathcoole PS and NU
Teachers TV- Outdoor Learning with Forest School
- Rathcoole PS and NU Principal - Emma Quinn - talks about the benefits of Forest Schools at Rathcoole PS and NU "Forest School" is based on a Scandinavian idea that considers children's contact with nature to be extremely important from an early age. A study trip from Somerset to Denmark in 1995 decided that the approach was appropriate for use in Britain. Since then Forest School has spread to many areas as educationalists have witnessed the impact that it can have on children.
Nature Kindergarten | Frances Krusekopf | TEDxVictoria
Inspired by her child's experience in a forest preschool in Germany, Frances Krusekopf has developed a pilot project for kindergarten children to take their learning outdoors into nature...
- Find out a bit more about Forest Schools Membership Forest School Directory Learning Without Walls website Forest Schools Diary Learning Without Walls Newsletter About NIFSA and The Dufferin Foundation Welcome to the home of the Forest School Awards, the outreach programme for Learning Without Walls. The Learning Without Walls initiative is a series of programmes all designed to get children learning outside in the natural environment with their schools, youth groups and families.