Forest School
What is Forest School?
At Crawley Ridge, we are incredibly fortunate to have beautiful grounds that provide a wonderful natural setting for outdoor learning. Our Forest School is a special part of school life, giving all children the opportunity to explore, discover and learn in the natural environment right here at school.
Led by our trained Forest School Leader, sessions offer children the freedom to follow their interests, explore their surroundings and learn through hands-on experiences. Rather than always working towards a set outcome, children are encouraged to be curious, ask questions, try things out and discover things for themselves. Learning might begin with a particular theme or activity, but can develop in unexpected and exciting ways as children’s interests take the lead.
Forest School offers so much more than learning outdoors. It supports children’s social, physical, intellectual, communication and emotional development, helping them to build confidence, independence and resilience. As they climb, build, create, investigate and work together, children develop problem-solving skills, think creatively, learn to manage risks safely and discover what they are capable of achieving. Time spent in nature also provides space to pause, reflect and recharge, supporting children's wellbeing and helping them develop a lasting appreciation for the natural world.
We are especially fortunate to have a class teacher who is also Forest School trained, enabling us to provide additional outdoor learning opportunities, including our Outdoor Learning Days. These experiences extend learning beyond the classroom, bringing the curriculum to life and giving children further opportunities to collaborate, explore and apply their skills in different contexts.
At Crawley Ridge, we believe some of the most memorable learning happens when children have the freedom to explore, take supported risks and learn through experience. Our Forest School provision allows every child to enjoy these opportunities, make discoveries, develop new skills and create wonderful memories together.
What should my child wear?
Forest School takes place outdoors throughout the year, whatever the weather, except when conditions are unsafe, such as during high winds or thunderstorms. We want children to feel comfortable, confident and ready to get stuck in, so please ensure they wear clothing that can get muddy! As the saying goes, ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!'
On Forest School days, children should wear their school polo shirt and cardigan or sweatshirt, with dark-coloured trousers or leggings. Please bring wellies for children to change into; an old pair of trainers is also suitable if you are happy for them to get dirty.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autumn Term 2026 Timetable :
Please refer to your ArborMail dated 9th September 2026 for your child(ren)'s groups and what to wear on their Forest School Day.
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What children can expect from their sessions :
Session from October 2025
We’ve spent the session discussing nocturnal animals, what it means, who they are, how do we know they’re around etc. The children were very interested in the clues that tell us which animals have visited our camp in the night. As part of this, we looked at owl pellets that I’ve found there and discussed those further.
The children were invited to build a hedgehog house, using whatever woodland materials they could find. This proved quite popular.
Today we set up a nature camera in the camp to see which nocturnal animals we might spot. The children helped sprinkle some biscuit crumbs to tempt the animals!
Please check out our wildlife camera footage from our woodland :
Nature cam mouse : https://youtu.be/dwWqNPYMK5I
Nature cam squirrel : https://youtu.be/joJ9jpvtMqw
Nature cam fox : https://youtu.be/Zh0-LnPpY2Q
We’ve talked a lot about the season and all the different signs that tell us we’re in autumn. A particular fascination was the sweet chestnuts, and spotting all the areas where the squirrels had been feasting on them.
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Session from January 2025 -
We talked about animals starting to hibernate and they were all given the opportunity to create a “hibernation den” for some cuddly toys I had brought in. They worked really hard and showed lots of empathy - designing dens that would keep them dry, warm, fed and entertained!
Some children were very interested in examining the autumn leaves. I had brought in a light that they placed the leaves on to highlight all the veins in them. We compared some to the lines on our hands. In their words we were “scanning the leaves!”
I also brought some conkers in as the children had been getting confused between them and the sweet chestnuts. They enjoyed looking at the differences and putting them under the magnifying glass.
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Session from April 2026
Diamond class had a lovely first visit to Forest School this week. The children planted a sapling and discovered a seed that had self-rooted. To help protect them, they worked together to make a small fence. They also created a wormery to keep in the classroom and are looking forward to observing the trails the worms make over time.
