Forest School & Outdoor Learning

Curriculum Mapping and Progression of Skill Document

Forest School at Stalmine Primary School provides children with regular opportunities to learn outdoors through hands-on, practical experiences that support both the wider curriculum and their personal development.

Sessions take place in our on-site Forest School area, which includes established trees, hedging and a gazebo, which acts as a shelter and a place to retrieve information. Additional natural resources are brought onto site to enrich learning, encourage creativity and provide a stimulating outdoor environment.

Children take part in a wide range of practical activities, including:

safe tool use
learning to tie knots and using them practically
nature exploration
woodland crafts
fire lighting and campfire cooking
team-building challenges including shelter building
storytelling and imaginative play
seasonal investigations

The Forest School Association (FSA) states that:

‘Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.’

At Stalmine Primary School our regular sessions follow this child-centred approach and in doing so it nurtures curiosity, confidence, resilience and independence within the children while supporting children's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.

Forest School is delivered as a structured programme across the school, with each year group participating in a block of sessions led by our qualified Forest School Leader, who is also a qualified first aider.

Forest School Timetable

AUTUMN 1 & 2 - CLASS 2 & 3

SPRING 1 & 2 - CLASS 4

SUMMER 1 & 2 - CLASS 2 & 3

*CLASS 1 (EYFS) - Ongoing throughout the year.

Each session follows a consistent structure:

sharing the Forest School rules
practical activities and exploration with opportunities for child-led learning and play
reflection and discussion.

Children progressively develop knowledge and skills within five key areas: shelter building, knots, tool use, fire lighting and using the Forest School environment. Each year builds upon prior learning, enabling pupils to become increasingly confident, independent and resilient outdoor learners.

Our Forest School curriculum is also designed to be accessible to all pupils. Activities are adapted through appropriate support, differentiated tasks and flexible approaches to ensure every child can access, enjoy and achieve success in outdoor learning.

We meet our duties under the Equality Act 2010 and SEND regulations by:

adapting activities to meet individual needs
providing appropriate support and guidance
ensuring a safe and supportive environment
maintaining high expectations for all learners.

Forest School promotes confidence, resilience and independence while ensuring every child feels valued and included.

Comprehensive risk assessments are completed for the site, tools and activities to ensure learning remains safe, purposeful and enjoyable.

Assessment is continuous and informs future learning.

The Forest School leader assesses children's development through:

observations
pupil discussions
practical activities
reflections

Assessment focuses on personal development alongside practical skills, resilience, confidence and engagement with outdoor learning.

Our pupils leave Stalmine Primary School with increased confidence, resilience and independence, alongside a meaningful connection with the natural world. Forest School equips children with practical life skills, encourages curiosity and supports their wellbeing, helping them become confident learners both inside and outside of the classroom.