Woodland Learning Programme

To view our Whitehill Woodland Learning Overview click HERE.

WOODLAND LEARNING INTENT

The ethos of our Woodland Learning Programme is based on a respect for children and their capacity to initiate, investigate and maintain curiosity in the world around them. It believes in a child’s right to play; the right to access the outdoors (and in particular a woodland environment); the right to experience risk in a controlled way in the natural world along with the right to develop their emotional intelligence through social interaction, building a resilience to enable creative engagement with their peers and their potential. Woodland Learning is an inspirational process that offers all learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a wooded natural environment. Children who struggle learning indoors are often able to develop new ways of learning and coping with the world. Woodland Learning embraces

collaborative, unplanned, unexpected and ultimately unlimited learning opportunities. Children are encouraged to direct their own learning - this is often inspired by the Woodland Learning Lead either through stimulating play in the outdoors or through 'scaffolding' a child's learning, but mostly through simply observing how children are in the outdoors. The most important thing is to encourage the natural curiosity present in children and to enable them to open their eyes and experience the wonders of the world around them.

The woodland environment is central in supporting this approach to learning: the changing of the seasons, the contemplation of an ancient tree, the dynamic nature of an outdoor environment - an infinite source of smells, textures, sounds and tastes and a range of visual stimuli all contribute to the Woodland Learning experience.

Our Woodland Learning Curriculum is designed to build progressive skills in safety, knot tying, shelter construction, fire management, navigation, tool use and creative design. Each year group follows a structured 6-lesson sequence that explicitly builds upon prior learning.

Our Woodland Learning programme encourages children to:

• Develop personal and social skills with consideration for others’ ideas and opinions so that all learn to work HARMONIOUSLY with one another.
• Discover how they learn best and as a result have AUTONOMY in how they work.
• Build Confidence in decision making and evaluating risk, assessing what is the right thing to do and being NOBLE in these acts.
• Develop a deep Respect for the environment and being NOBLE in their actions.
• Work through practical problems and challenges, developing resilience and 

DETERMINATION

• Learn how to manage failures, again, developing resilience and DETERMINATION
• Use tools to create, build or manage
• Pursue knowledge that interests them and in doing so being true to their SPIRIT, their personality and nature.
• Develop practical skills
• Understand the benefits of a balanced and healthy lifestyle
• Explore connections between humans, wildlife and the earth
• Develop a deep Respect for the environment
• Regularly experience achievement and success
• Reflect on learning and experiences
• Develop their language and communication skills ~ Cooperation
• Improve physical motor skills
• Become more motivated
• Improve their concentration skills

IMPLEMENTATION

Our activities for Woodland Learning are diverse and numerous, we are trying to create independent learners who are inspired to try out their own ideas, explore their own interests and to attempt new ideas. Wherever possible learning activities are linked to the children’s own interests and curiosities. This  helps create an immersive and inspiring learning experience.

Some activities might include:

• Shelter/den building
• Fire lighting and cooking on an open fire
• Tool use
• Studying wildlife
• Playing listening, team and group games
• Sensory activities
• Rope and string work, tying knots
• Art and sculpture work
• Woodland and traditional craft

Before each session, the teacher who is leading the Woodland Learning Session must carry out a risk assessment of the Woodland Learning site. They must identify and remove/reduce any risks that are found during the risk assessment.

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in the woodland classroom, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Woodland Learning follows a whole school long term plan which focuses on outdoor skills and links to their learning in other subjects. 

IMPACT

Woodland Learning lessons should make learning more relevant to the students’ lives in the community and wider world. We encourage children to be responsible for and respect the local community and environment, giving them a sense of belonging and ownership of the place in which they live. We explore the uses of the local area, integrating subjects so that meaningful activities can be planned and delivered effectively and regularly.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Observations of the students
• Images and videos of the children’s practical learning.
• Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).

The success of Woodland Learning allows the children to:

• Grow in Confidence as a result of the freedom, time and space they are given in their learning and develop DETERMINATION and resilience. This allows them to demonstrate AUTONOMY at each individual child’s rate.

• Activities such as sharing tools and participating in play help teach the children to work together HARMONIOUSLY as a group, which strengthens their bonds and social skills.

• The sensory experiences provided by Woodland Learning helps prompt language development. Improving communication skills has a positive effect on a child’s self esteem and is a crucial part of their development and helps promote consideration of others.
• High levels of interest lead to high levels of attention. Spending time in the woodland is exciting for a child. It tends to fascinate them which

develops a strong will to participate and concentrate over long periods of time.

• The increase in outdoor activity has a positive physical impact. Not only does the development of physical stamina improve but also gross and fine

motor skills.

• Children develop an interest in the great outdoors and respect for the environment. Encouraging children to develop a relationship with the natural world will help pupils to make NOBLE decisions, protecting the environment for generations to come.
• Woodland Learning isn’t just beneficial to children, it is also beneficial to teachers. Observing their class in a different setting allows them to gain a new perspective and understanding of their class.
• When children really engage with Woodland Learning, they will take their experiences home to share with friends and family. This will often encourage families to visit their local woodlands more frequently.
• Taking children outside of the classroom removes the pressures of academia and allows them to play to their strengths and be happy in themselves, celebrating their true SPIRIT. This is beneficial to children who struggle in the classroom because there is more of an opportunity for them to learn at their own pace.

Woodland Learning is a recognised ethos and child-centred approach to outdoor education. Through regular sessions, children will take part in opportunities for holistic growth in a safe and secure learning environment. During Woodland Learning, children will do activities and have experiences that support play, exploration and develop and foster curiosity. The children will also take part in risk taking activities to support their autonomy and safe understanding of risk. Children will develop confidence through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in an outdoor woodland or natural setting. Children engage in motivating, age-appropriate, achievable tasks and activities throughout the year and in almost all weathers, with suitable footwear and clothing. This enables children to develop their understanding of changes in seasons and how the woodland environment changes too. Woodland Learning helps children to grow in all aspects of learning through outdoor play, developing an understanding of the natural world.

Our Woodland Learning sessions will take place in the wooded area of our school grounds. We are lucky to have this space to have shared experiences together, planned by a qualified Forest School Lead. The Forest School Lead acts as a consultant who monitors the delivery of lessons and is present to support the aspects of the programme that require specific expertise of fire lighting.