Forest School

[ardcarp]

The 'Forest School' movement is, IMO, fantastic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000222j

About 10 mins from start.

Many lessons to be learned for our mainstream education system...but I suspect they won't be.
In the UK it's primarily the preserve of middle-class often home-educated kids. Not so in Denmark.

[greenilex]

I think one has to take care with assuming that the rapidly growing home ed sector is all trendy middles. Quite a few schools are using it as a dump for the disaffected.

[ardcarp]

I think 'middles' or not, most parents who choose home-ed do so for the best of reasons, most of which are to do with the boring, target-driven treadmill of many (not all, I agree) dreary primary schools. Furthermore activities such as Forest School, out-of-school sports clubs and, yes, MUSIC groups are a great way for home-ed kids to socialise with others of their own age.

Quite a few schools are using it as a dump for the disaffected.

I have no knowledge or info about this, but I find it hard to imagine a risk-averse primary head-teacher recommending Forest School!

[eighthobstruction]

....if only....for the majority....

[oddoneout]

I think 'middles' or not, most parents who choose home-ed do so for the best of reasons, most of which are to do with the boring, target-driven treadmill of many (not all, I agree) dreary primary schools. Furthermore activities such as Forest School, out-of-school sports clubs and, yes, MUSIC groups are a great way for home-ed kids to socialise with others of their own age.



I have no knowledge or info about this, but I find it hard to imagine a risk-averse primary head-teacher recommending Forest School!

I read the 'dump for the disaffected' comment as relating to home-ed pupils.
Now that the history curriculum has to start at the Neolithic, some primary schools are managing their risk aversion in order to access activities which aren't that far away from Forest School in some respects. Where I work school groups are a major part of the site's purpose, and being able to offer 'neolithic' activities in the woods has proved popular, as have holiday activities put on by an organisation which comes to a site to deliver whatever elements of the Forest School are possible or wanted. Many visitor attractions with suitable arboreal assets are picking up on the trend as well.
Sadly the current education system doesn't allow for creative learning such as this, even where the school may want to deliver it; emphasis on testing, targets and a narrow academic curriculum , coupled with inadequate funding, leaves no opportunity for the majority.

[greenilex]

It’s just that apparently some 14 year olds are being home educated for lack of funding and support in certain schools. The parents get a heavy hint and no more is said by anyone.

The only solution, but it does take us back to DH Lawrence and the system pre WW1.

[oddoneout]

It’s just that apparently some 14 year olds are being home educated for lack of funding and support in certain schools. The parents get a heavy hint and no more is said by anyone.

The only solution, but it does take us back to DH Lawrence and the system pre WW1.

There are many of all ages and with a variety of problems who end up in that situation, although to what extent the 'ed' bit applies is doubtful.Having to look after a school age child at home because there isn't a place for him/her isn't the same as choosing to 'educate otherwise'. It's something that's only going to get worse as schools cannot fund support staff, and places at special schools(if appropriate) and specialist units for excluded pupils are limited. A friend who works in one of the latter kind of units, dealing mostly with older boys, said that some of the staff suggested setting up Forest School type activities on their site as it had a suitable area, but the idea was rejected as it was felt too unsafe - sharp tools, fire, rope, climbing etc. As he remarked, it would be safer dealing with incidents involving those things outside away from the building rather than, as regularly happened, inside the school unit....The argument that aggression was often caused, at least in part, by being cooped up in a classroom and that being physical outside might be beneficial was dismissed.

[ardcarp]

I have great sympathy with those older kids who are not able to fit in with the school environment and great sympathy for the families who have worries looking after them. I would just mention that my OP about Forest Schools was written from a rather different slant; namely an alternative (or maybe an addition to?) the less than creative and sometimes stultifying primary school classroom.

[doversoul1]

I haven’t listen to the programme yet but is this not the same thing? Plenty of these about at least around London.

http://www.forestschoolsuk.co.uk/

[greenilex]

Please may I be allowed a plug for the Woodcraft Folk at this point?

It is the youth movement of cooperation worldwide, and very successful all over its islands of origin.

I have been a member since the seventies. No longer a Pioneer, however.

[oddoneout]

I have great sympathy with those older kids who are not able to fit in with the school environment and great sympathy for the families who have worries looking after them. I would just mention that my OP about Forest Schools was written from a rather different slant; namely an alternative (or maybe an addition to?) the less than creative and sometimes stultifying primary school classroom.

Threads grow and branch out! Yes, Forest Schools would be a worthwhile addition to existing provision - or more accurately a replacement for parts of it - in my view, but unless there is a fundamental change of approach at the top to what education actually is about and for, and how it should be funded, then I don't see it happening except in individual cases. As always, those who are likely to have access to such things are not going to be those who would most benefit. At present I think the best one can hope for is that the officially endorsed(ie put it in the timetable) 'grow your own' school-premises-based initiatives are allowed/adequately supported to enable pupils to have some access to non-classroom based learning. For so many children such experiences can have wide-reaching positive effects which enable them to cope better with the school environment and their fellow pupils. The same holds for such things as music, drama, art of course(which can also lend themselves to 'outside the classroom' delivery) - but again, the current model of 'Education UK' doesn't rate such things worthwhile.

[Mal]

The 'Forest School' movement is, IMO, fantastic.

Large space, kids left to their own devices - sound's like heaven for bullies. And they get provided with knives and axes! And they slaughter chickens! As a chicken, I'd be doing like the hero in Nabakov's "Luzhin defence"; I'd slog through the forest until I got back home, then I'd hide in the attic.

[Serial_Apologist]

Large space, kids left to their own devices - sound's like heaven for bullies. And they get provided with knives and axes! And they slaughter chickens! As a chicken, I'd be doing like the hero in Nabakov's "Luzhin defence"; I'd slog through the forest until I got back home, then I'd hide in the attic.

But are they left unsupervised?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

But are they left unsupervised?

It could be deemed illegal if they were:

https://www.gov.uk/law-on-leaving-your-child-home-alone

[oddoneout]

Large space, kids left to their own devices - sound's like heaven for bullies. And they get provided with knives and axes! And they slaughter chickens! As a chicken, I'd be doing like the hero in Nabakov's "Luzhin defence"; I'd slog through the forest until I got back home, then I'd hide in the attic.

The clue's in the name - it is a form of schooling. What you are describing happens up and down the country when youngsters aren't constructively occupied, and has nothing to do with school.....Forest or otherwise.