EDUCAT ION
PLAYING IN THE WOODS MIGHT NOT BE THE MOST CONVENTIONAL EDUCATION, BUT LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM HAS PLENTY OF BENEFITS, AS THESE LOCAL SCHOOLS CAN TESTIFY WORDS BY NICOLA FOLEY The Great Outdoors
and a qualified forest school leader, as well as serving as a member of the local authority Forest School Steering Group. Cambridgeshire as a whole, she says, has an “ambitious vision” for rolling out forest school opportunities and making them available to as many children and young people as possible. But our city is far from the only place jumping aboard the outdoor learning bandwagon – in fact, forest school (and variants of it) are enjoying a huge surge in popularity around the world. But why, after years of decline in outdoor play, are we suddenly so interested again? The answer might well be the pandemic, believes Rebecca Mitchell, admissions coordinator at Cambridge Steiner School. “The growth in popularity is a fantastic development, and it’s coming about as we increasingly understand the need for connection with nature, healthy movement and fresh air for everyone, but especially young children,” she says. “It seems that lockdown may have given parents an opportunity to see how much
aking mud pies, building dens and toasting marshmallows
around a campfire might not sound like traditional educational activities, but as the Danish- born forest school movement gains momentum, more and more pupils are spending lessons getting grubby in the great outdoors. The idea of learning outside is, of course, nothing new – even the term ‘kindergarten’ (used around the world to describe early-years learning) literally translates to ‘children’s garden’. But the forest school movement as we know it today refers to a specific model that emerged in the 1950s, advocating a long-term, immersive programme of hands-on activities in nature. “It provides experiences in which children learn through play and exploration, develop a connection with the natural environment, take risks and challenge themselves,” explains Harriet Gervasio. As deputy head of King’s Ely Acremont, Harriet is a keen advocate of the philosophy
72 JULY 2021 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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