Forest Schools
Welcome to Marus Bridge Primary School’s Forest School
At Marus Bridge every child will have the opportunity to learn, enjoy and achieve—outdoors as well as indoors. Our Forest School is a child-centred, hands-on approach to learning in natural spaces, designed to build confidence, independence and a lifelong connection with nature. Sessions are led by our Forest School leaders Mrs Bower and Mrs Jones and run throughout the year in all seasons.
Forest School gives each child the opportunity to build skills, confidence and resilience through exploration and play. Children learn how to safely use a variety of tools, a range of knots, and other outdoor survival skills. We encourage children to take on challenges to push themselves, linking to our core values of determination and responsibility. Not only is Forest School good for our Physical health it also supports our mental well-being, by reducing stress and anxiety. It also benefits those children who need more support with emotional regulation. All sessions are inclusive, so that every child can take part.
Ethos For Marus Bridge Forest School
At Marus Bridge Primary School our Forest School will provide a nurturing environment which promotes and encourages children to develop and foster positive relationships with the outdoor natural world. We aim to develop our children’s resilience, confidence, self-esteem, imagination and independence. We want them to discover their own potential, be confident and build strong social and emotional skills that will support them in the wider world.
Our Forest School focuses on the five Marus Bridge Core Values of Determination, Friendship, Responsibility, Kindness and Respect and Trust which guide us in all we do. Our children will forge string friendships while developing a keen sense of responsibility, kindness and respect for our natural environment through their engagement with the outdoors. Our Forest School aims to build resilience in our children by encouraging them to engage with and support each other, developing respect and building trust whilst taking risks that are not found in the classroom.
Most of all we want our children to be excited about the outdoors, become creative and have fun.
Intent
To build an inclusive Forest School curriculum that provides all pupils at Marus Bridge Primary School equal access. The framework blends holistic, child-led outdoor learning with the school’s core values of determination, kindness and respect, friendship, trust and responsibility.
This progressive, whole-school curriculum framework maps out distinct developmental tiers from Early Years to Key Stage 2, ensuring that every child can "Learn, Enjoy, and Achieve" in nature.
