Page 14 - Androvian2021

12 | BEACH AND FOREST SCHOOL
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Blue sky thinking is at the heart of outdoor learning at St Andrew’s Prep. We are very fortunate to have our very own Forest School opposite the main school site and the beach within a 10 minute walk.
Outdoor learning is hugely beneficial for the children as it improves co-operation, communication skills, awareness of others and the natural world surrounding them and it also enhances their self-confidence and self-esteem. Put simply, being outdoors is of great importance to maintain children’s physical and mental health and wellbeing.
The children in the Pre-Prep and the older Nursery children look forward to their Forest School sessions immensely. Each week, the children spend a morning or afternoon in this magical haven. Working on set tasks, they head off on a journey of self-discovery; taking the occasional managed risk and learning through experience and teamwork.The Forest School curriculum expands and enhances classroom work in ways that are simply not possible indoors. In addition, the children learn forestry skills including learning to tie a variety of knots, observing and interacting with nature, using different tools and fire building.These experiences increase the children’s motivation and staff have found the children gain a very positive attitude towards learning.The happy looks of awe and wonder on the children’s faces is so rewarding and these sessions are often the highlight of the week for our teachers too.