FOREST SCHOOL
At Hennock, Forest School is a carefully planned and sequenced part of our curriculum. All pupils access 20 sessions a year in our woodland site, which gives them regular, meaningful opportunities to build knowledge and skills over time.
Intent
Our aim is for pupils to develop secure knowledge of the natural world, alongside practical outdoor skills like tool use, shelter building and fire safety. Just as importantly, we want them to become resilient, confident and independent learners with a strong sense of responsibility for the environment.
ImplementationÂ
The curriculum is carefully sequenced from EYFS to Year 6, so pupils build progressively on prior learning. For example, they start with basic tool use and simple structures, and over time move towards more complex, independent tasks like constructing shelters or safely managing fire.
We balance explicit teaching of key knowledge—like the fire triangle or plant identification—with child-led exploration, so pupils can apply what they’ve learned in a meaningful context.
We also revisit key concepts regularly, which helps pupils retain knowledge and use it independently.
ImpactÂ
As a result, we see pupils who can recall and apply their knowledge—for example, explaining fire safety, identifying species, or selecting the right knot for a task.
They also show increasing independence, choosing tools and strategies without adult direction, and strong collaboration skills.
