Purley Church of England Infant School

Woodland Star: Ella

Read all about our woodland adventures!

What is Forest School?

Forest School originated in Sweden in the 1950’s and was introduced in Britain in the late 1990’s. It is an inspirational process that offers regular opportunities to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors. Learning occurs in a relaxed environment using all of the senses. Choices can be made and risks understood and taken. Forest School happens all year round and so children should wear warm, waterproof clothing. The ethos of Forest School is that learners should be allowed time and space to explore, develop skills and interests and understanding through practical, hands on experience. Forest School promotes good health and fitness and an awareness of good hygiene. It helps children’s social and communication development as they work together problem solving, developing motor-skills and coordination in a fun and relaxed environment. Children also learn a sense of personal responsibility and respect for their environment as well as developing their confidence, self-esteem and independence.

Woodland School - 21/09/18

September 24, 2018

Today the children voted to stay at the camp and we began by sitting quietly to listen to the birdsong. Arthur recognised the cooing of a pigeon which some of us thought was an owl so we discussed nocturnal animals.

The children had a very imaginative and creative time: many chose to make dens, use the ball run, balance on the logs or climb trees. Annabelle and Amelia made an excellent map using pine cones, feathers and logs. Ella and Lilly-May used the coloured wool to make a rope and unicorn hair. Oscar and Arlo played a game trying to get the wooden sword out of the logs. Daniel and Ayman created a fun climbing game using a log and rope. Lewis and Sydney worked with great perseverance to make a den using blankets, tarpaulin and string. Most of the children spent time playing with the ball run and climbing the trees, taking turns and helping one another out. There was great cooperation and behaviour all round. Next week some of us would like to do some digging so we will be packing the trowels! Mrs Hodsdon

Posted by Claire Ham.

Woodland School - 14/09/18

September 18, 2018

Monday morning was such an exciting time because we made a welcome return to the woodland at Basildon Park. We discovered some changes since we were last there so we went on a walk to find out what was new. We discovered a musical instrument made of wood, stepping stones, balancing logs and a huge ruler which we used to measure ourselves. We were disappointed to find the dens had disappeared but fortunately we found some more had been made in a different area. We were able to practice road s...
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Posted by Claire Ham.

Woodland School - 22/06/18

June 22, 2018

The challenge this week for the children was to toss a circle of string onto an area in the woods and to look closely at what they could see within. The children used magnifying glasses to observe in detail, and cameras to record what they saw. Brandon and Oscar noticed shiny snail trails meandering over a log, and Sydney found white fungi growing on a fallen tree. By carefully brushing aside some fallen leaves, Annabelle and Lewis found a worm wriggling on the damp soil. Daniel and his m...

Posted by emma morel.

Woodland School - 15/06/18

June 22, 2018

To link with our topic of traditional tales, this week the children were challenged to make magic wands. They decided that medium sized sticks would work best and measured them against their arms to make sure they were not too long. They practised tying knots in the wool and hunted for interesting natural items such as leaves and feathers to add the magic to the wands. They discussed what kind of spells their wands could be used for and agreed that kind spells only would be allowed, althou...
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Posted by emma morel.

Woodland School - 08/06/18

June 22, 2018

This week the children noticed that over the holidays many of the plants had been growing, such as nettles, brambles and ferns. Daniel told everyone that the ferns had been around when the dinosaurs had been roaming the earth, and Lewis noticed that they looked like the palm leaves laid on the floor for Jesus and the donkey to walk on for Palm Sunday. The children had great fun making mud gooey enough to stick onto trees. They decorated the muddy mounds to look like faces using things they...

Posted by emma morel.

Woodland School - 25/05/18

June 22, 2018

Hedgehog class certainly had an adventure in the woods this week! When we got there we were met by workmen who told us we were unable to reach our usual spot, so we decided to be resourceful and find a different area to explore. We tried one way, but the nettles had grown too high for us to feel safe, so we found another area which suited our needs. We spent a fun morning exploring the new site, discovering a variety of beetles and other insects, and creating an exciting new den amongst th...
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Posted by emma morel.

Woodland School - 18/05/18

May 21, 2018

The children enjoyed a warm and sunny morning in the woods this week. As always, they found ways to challenge themselves by balancing along the tree trunks and climbing safely. Some children explored a different ball run, and a group of children decided to build a den for a family of dogs, thinking about the size of the branches they would need and how to position them safely. The children recorded their activities using the new Kidizoom cameras kindly donated by FOPS. Ayman creatively found...

Woodland School - 04/05/18

May 15, 2018

The chilly, windy, unseasonal weather could not dampen the children’s spirits at woodland this week, and a hot chocolate break certainly helped to keep them going. Annabelle challenged herself to walk along the fallen logs unaided, whilst Ella experimented with different ways of moving along them. Jax tried his best to start a camp fire by rubbing two sticks together, but Arlo noticed it was too damp and windy for this to be successful. Arthur and Brandon went on a mini beast hunt and chose...
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Woodland School - 27/04/18

April 27, 2018

The first Woodland session was a great experience for all the children and their brilliant behaviour made it even more of a pleasure to be with them. When we arrived, we kept very still and quiet to listen to the birds and children were able to identify the call of the kite. We also took a closer look at the types of trees and flowers in the woods and children identified the holly tree and bluebells. After discussing safety rules and boundaries, children were extremely sensible. They spent th...
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Woodland School - 09/03/18

April 4, 2018

Well, what a disappointment to have no snow at Woodland today, although we did notice snow piled up along the main roads and a couple of melting snowmen! We all went to check if our animal shelters were still there - we hope that the woodland animals were protected by them in the very cold weather. Some of us noticed some signs of spring with new shoots appearing on the ground. The children were given ideas for activities today but most chose their own ideas - playing imaginary games in the c...

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