The Woods & Forest School

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks" (John Muir)

The Woods

Boothby Great Wood is situated on the other side of the farmyard at Great Wood Farm, and it is owned by the Forest England. We have an agreement in place for our own Forest School base camps within the woods and work closely with them to ensure the woods are safe and sustainably managed.  There is no public access to the woods from Great Wood Farm.  All children at GWF access the woods regularly, from the Babies up to Rangers, embedding the Forest School ethos across the EYC. The Babies room take the non mobile babies in pushchairs, stimulating them with smells, sights and the sounds of nature. The children benefit with the close interaction with observing the changing seasons and playing in natural and wild environments which stimulates their senses and forges connections with nature.

Forest School

In February 2009 we set up a Forest School with our Kindergarten and Rangers Rooms and this incorporates the opportunity for your child to attend Forest School regularly. In November 2017 we were awarded the Recognised Forest School Provider Award from the Forest School Association (FSA), the first setting in Lincolnshire to achieve this.  We now have 11 qualified Forest School Leaders, which is one of the most nationally and have extended doing Forest School with our Babies and Toddlers.  We have at least one Forest School Leader based in every room, ensuring it is embedded age appropriately across the nursery.

Every child across the nursery in Babies, Toddlers and Kindergarten are timetabled to go in a small group every week during term time.  The Forest School approach to learning focuses on a holistic approach with active learning styles covering all areas of development, in a child led approach. Practitioners use teaching strategies which support children to take calculated risks. This results in children developing their self-esteem, confidence, independence and language and communication skills in a natural environment. Our Forest School works with children being introduced to responsible risk-taking, and setting participants up to achieve. The activities cover all seven Areas of Learning and Development and include exploration and appreciation of nature, using tools and cooking on a fire. We even stay for lunch in the summer term! Our Forest School provides a unique and stimulating environment which captivates children’s interest and results in deep level learning taking place.

Ofsted have previously commented in a report "Children benefit from excellent, hands-on learning experiences as they explore the Forest school area. They hunt for snails, spiders and bugs. As a result, they demonstrate an exceptionally good understanding of the natural world and growth and development. They learn how to light fires and be safe around them."

More information can be found about Forest School at the following link http://www.earlyyearscareers.com/eyc/early-years-practice/why-forest-school-can-help-childrens-development/