Forest School

23/09/2021:  Well it has been great after over a year in the planning; and despite COVID setting us back; to be able to launch Forest school across Key Stage 1 and 2. With all four classes getting the opportunity to take part, we will be making the most of our on site Outdoor Learning area and Local woodland. 

This week our focus has been on leaves with the pupils collecting leaves from the school site and identifying some of them. They have learnt the importance for trees and plants to have leaves and how plants breath through microscopic holes on the underside and how leaves help to create energy. Key stage 2 pupils progressing on to an understanding of photosynthesis and the purpose of chlorophyll in the leaves.

Class 1 and 2 have made leaf crowns and taken part in leaf rubbing or drawing trees. 

Class 3 and 4 have done chlorophyll painting and leaf art projects.

01/10/2021:  This weeks topic has been ………apples.
We are very fortunate as over the years we have had about eight apple trees planted in the school grounds and four pear trees.
The pupils have collected some of the apples and looked at the difference in shape and colour. They have even tasted each fruit to identify any difference.
They were shocked to hear that in the world there are over 7000 different types of apples (2500 in the Uk since Victorian times). Despite this in the UK we currently buy from shops maybe ten different varieties.
We looked at the life cycle of an apple tree and talked about seed dispersal.
Each class took part in some apple craft from producing apple tree pictures, apple bird feeders or apple print pictures.

14/10/2021:  We have been blessed with absolutely gorgeous weather this week so have managed to get out and about creating all sorts of woodland creatures. This week we have been looking at seeds, in particular seeds of native trees to Britain. Each class have explored the school grounds to see what trees and seeds they could collect. They learnt about the life cycle of a tree and the different seed dispersal methods there are.

We have then used seeds to create pictures and wild animals. From pine cone squirrels, pine cone hedgehogs, conker snails, beech nut hedgehogs, ash key creatures.

21/10/2021:  We have been blessed by yet another sunny warm week for Forest School.
Spiders and Hedgehogs have been our topic.
Class 2 and 4 have been looking at British House Spiders and the Arachnid Family. 
They learnt about spider webs and eating habits and passed around a rather large house spider in a jar. No one dared to hold it on their hand !
Class 2 pupils made spider crowns, coloured in a house spider picture and played a game creeping like a spider. Class 4 made spiders out of pine cones. And looked at detailed facts on spiders.
For Class 1 we put together a hedgehog house that we will place somewhere in the school grounds and did some hedgehog art