Incorporating traditional subjects with engaging Forest School lessons is proving to be a huge success at The Hawthorns School, Surrey
Outdoor education plays a huge part in the lives of the children here at The Hawthorns School. From pupils in our Nursery to those in Year Two, all children have the chance to venture out of the classroom, and learn through play and discovery during our regular Forest School lessons in the surrounding woodland and grounds.
Our Forest School lessons not only inspire our children to explore and investigate nature, but they also feed their natural curiosity for the world around them. Set within 35 acres, the school provides a fantastic setting to enhance their learning.
Lessons take place in and around the woodland, lake and meadow, and where possible, children also visit our small holding of sheep, goats, horses and poultry, fostering a love of animals. Above, children love measuring and making potions in the mud kitchen
By building these lessons into the curriculum, our teachers can creatively connect the Forest School to traditional classroom learning. The opportunity for cross-curricular education is endless, as we integrate many subjects, including science, geography and maths.
Activities have included concocting a perfume and thinking about our senses, searching for mini-beasts, and collecting natural items and placing them in categories. Pupils have also enjoyed measuring potions in the mud kitchen, and creating natural weaving looms an...