About Cambridge Forest Schools
How did Cambridge Forest Schools come about?
Cambridge Forest Schools has it’s foundations in education and learning. When my family and I moved to New Zealand, we attended Playcentre. This is a unique philosophy of learning centred around holistic development. In addition, learning is completely child-led. It is focused on the process not the end result. As a result, our young children flourished. On returning to the UK, I trained as a Forest School Leader and consequently started working in schools. The success of my Forest School programmes highlighted a need for more practitioners so I trained as a Level 4 Forest School and Outdoor Learning trainer.
Our aims
Research shows spending time in the fresh air has a positive effect on our health and well-being. Our long term goal is to get people outside and we do this by
- Training education professionals how to embed Forest School and Outdoor Learning into the curriculum. We do this with high quality accredited Forest School training and Outdoor Learning training courses, consultation packages and group Professional Development meetings.
- Working with schools to support curriculum objectives with Forest School Programmes, Outdoor Learning sessions, Curriculum Fun Days-In and Bushcraft Fun Days-In.
- Taking families outside with our short, Practical Skills Short Courses family days and birthday parties.
About our Training
Cambridge Forest Schools deliver accredited Levels 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Forest School training and Levels 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Outdoor Learning training. Our suite of training courses offer different qualification routes and we work with you to map the right training pathway for your setting. Whether this is through the Forest School or Outdoor Learning or a combination of the two.
“From the very first session there were ideas and examples of activities which I could take back to school and try out straight away”
Our work in Schools
We run Forest School programmes and Outdoor Learning in primary schools. Forest School helps children develop a range of transferable skills. This includes social skills, emotional understanding and practical skills.We have worked with the same schools for 6 years with the outcomes for children being recognised by Ofsted. Sessions are bespoke and range from child-led Forest School to curriculum based Outdoor Learning.
We also run Bushcraft Fun Days-In and more structured curriculum led Outdoor Learning Fun Days-In where we bring you a taste of how Forest School and Outdoor Learning can support learning.
“The forest school curriculum encourages pupils to learn how to work together and how to support each other. Pupils engage positively with outdoor learning, working together to build dens, make camp fires and explore the outside space. As a result, pupils develop strong friendships, which inspectors observed in the playground, in lessons and when speaking with pupils”
Projects with Charities
Our most recent community project was ‘Crafty Sew n Sows’. The project was about learning the traditional craft of cooking on the fire. We worked with a group of school children and adults with additional needs from our local charity Red2Green. Everyone worked together to make a 3 course meal including soup, flatbreads and chocolate cakes. Most importantly, the project helped make our community stronger.
We also worked with Centre 33 to provide a bushcraft experience day for the Young Carers respite programe. The children enjoyed fire lighting and cooking popcorn and toast on their own mini fire.
We have also delivered sessions to young adults with severe learning disabilities for Action for Children. The sensory nature of the sessions stimulated and engaged the clients. It also provided the staff with a relaxing environment in which to recharge. The clients loved painting with mud, making pizzas and smores.
“A really good opportunity for participants to share what they knew or have a go at something they never had. ”