en:volve

' A Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning.’

SWT uses the forest school philosophy across our en:volve projects and where possible will use forest skills to enhance young people’s outdoor learning experience.  The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire individuals to access, explore and enjoy green spaces and woodlands through engaging tasks and activities.

By making the tasks achievable we’ll help young people to develop new skills and engage them to become more self-motivated.  This in turn leads them to develop more independent emotional and social skills.  Through this self-awareness, young people can reach their personal potential.  This includes encompassing a full holistic approach to learning giving the young people time to explore their thoughts, feelings and relationships with each other and the natural environment.

One key element to achieving this is giving the young people a sense of ownership over a particular site, young people who come out with us and visit the same local woodland or moorland on a regular basis have the opportunity to discover a wild space for themselves and with their skill base use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others.  Young people will have the opportunity to use tools, learn basic survival skills, natural craft and learn how to handle risks.

The skills we aim to develop therefore are:

• Self Awareness
• Self Regulation
• Intrinsic motivation
• Empathy
• Good social communication skills
• Independence
• A positive mental attitude, self-esteem and confidence