Telford Junior School Forest Schools

Here at Telford Junior School, we love forest schools. It was a project that was started several years ago, but has actually been something good that has come out of the difficult few years linked to Covid lockdown and getting our pupils back into the school as best as possible. We have used Forest school lesson to inspire and support our pupils. 

This would not have been possible without the wonderful enthusiasm and energy of Mrs Nicola Bingley, who is supported by other other Teaching Assistants to provide valuable and vivid learning sessions. 

The Telford Wood, was actually originally started by another fabulous member of the Telford Junior Team, Moira Rollason, who has not long retired. To find out more about how the Wood was created please can come back soon to find out the full story. 

Forest School Fun Year 6 October 2021

Year 6 have had great fun in the wood undertaking Forest School activities this term. The Y6 classes have experienced weekly afternoon sessions exploring a range of activities. The fire session, involving whittling marshmallow sticks for the toasting of marshmallows and creation of smores, washed down with a hot chocolate, appears to have been the favourite so far.

However, they are not only taking care of their stomachs – dens have been made for ‘wildlife’ and themselves, exploring different types of knots and whether their shelter was ultimately waterproof… Luckily no one got wet!

Forest Schools Year 6 November 2021

This week in Forest School Year 6 have been getting to grips with shelter building, learning about the fire triangle and how to safely start, manage and extinguish a fire. The children toasted marshmallows over the fire and made s'mores, once they had whittled a toasting stick and then warmed themselves with hot chocolate. Those who made dens were learning about survival and how building a shelter is a key element of survival, if stranded in the wild overnight. Thorough testing proved their shelters successful against the rain, that magically appeared once they were complete. Everyone looked to be having a lot of fun, once again leaving no trace of having been there, when we had finished our activities and left the wood.

Forest Schools Year 6 November 2021

Forest School sessions this week have involved fires and cooking tortilla pizza or toasting smores. The children used a billhook to cut thin kindling for the fire, as well as loppers for the thicker branches, which create the embers for toasting marshmallows. They learnt about green wood and its uses, as well as dry wood, and we saw how great birch brush was at starting the fire. With time left over the children chose different activities. They really enjoyed making dens and their knot skills are getting more proficient; one group produced a pulley system to get items into the tree house. Other children enjoyed whittling, playing hide and seek and one group constructed a swing with the help of Miss Coleman. The weather was also kind to us, still days and mild temperatures for the time of year.

Forest School Year 3 November 2021

Year 3 embarked on their Forest School journey this week, reconnecting with the wood immediately, exploring the many tiny paths and tunnels underneath the hedges that they remembered from their Infant Forest School days. They had great fun trying to guess which tree they had been exploring blindfolded, through touch; enjoyed a hot blackcurrant to take the chill off the autumnal weather; created tantalising mud pies in the outdoor kitchen and took great care drawing and taking leaf rubbings of the leaves. Many thanks to Mr Flanagan for volunteering to help with these sessions. Y6 also continued their journey, making the most of the fallen leaves of the red cherry trees, to create mandalas on the wood floor.

Year 6 Forest School November 2021

Forest School for Year 6 focussed on tool use this week, children making tree cookies with the bow saw and hand drill or bringing their own creations to life. Dylan made a tree cookie and Fraser created a bow and arrow using a foraged feather for his fletchling. Elizabeth and Lily measured and cut the roof for Koala’s den, whilst Isla, AJ, Thomas and Rosie fashioned daggers with the peelers.

Year 3 brought their Stone Age knowledge to life, attempting to make fire with a hand drill, bow drill and using horse hoof fungus. We concluded that making fire in prehistoric times was quite difficult, taking much patience and energy, but enjoyed making smores.