Dorchester St Birinus Primary School

Dorchester St Birinus Church of England School

Forest School

 

We are really proud of our Forest School area. All classes visit forest school for an afternoon every 4 weeks.

We use an area of the nearby Hurst Water Meadow which is the ideal location for us to go out and explore, have fun and learn.

Forest School is an inspirational concept providing learning opportunities through practical activities in an outdoor environment. Children enjoy the freedom to explore and experience the natural world in all seasons and in all weathers. Forest School embraces an approach of nurturing, supporting and developing the self-esteem of participants. It is an ideal environment in which to develop innovation, problem solving, risk taking, creativity and teamwork.

Forest School sessions are led by a specialist forest school teacher, Elena, who is a  trained Forest School Leader and a trained First Aider. We are really grateful to the Hurst Water Meadow Trust who help to fund our forest school provision. 

Forest School Sessions are inclusive and planned to allow all pupils to participate fully.

The safety and welfare of the pupils participating in Forest School is paramount and therefore all tasks are age-appropriate and risk assessments have been carried out for all activities prior to taking place. However as Forest School takes place in a wild environment there will always be an element of danger. Part of Forest School is helping the children to assess and manage their own risks.