Pre-Prep continue to benefit from Forest School sessions

October 23, 2020

Some of Rydal Penrhos’ youngest learners are continuing to benefit from a highly successful outdoor education initiative despite the current COVID-19 measures.

Each member of the Rydal Penrhos Prep School community has adjusted tremendously well to learning in a socially distanced manner thanks to the sterling work put in by the school’s exceptional staff team, who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that learning experiences and development remain unaltered during this uncertain time.

This includes the continuation of Forest School sessions, which are a fantastic way of boosting additional skills and communication in a fun, safe and happy environment that children might not necessarily get from the classroom.

This has been particularly evident at the Pre-Prep department, who took part in two exciting sessions prior to the half-term break which coincided with their classroom topics.

Year 1 and 2 have been exploring their elements behind the human body – most notably its sense of smell – which culminated in walking around the picturesque Forest School site situated on the Rydal Penrhos campus for things of “smelly” nature.

According to Prep School head Lucy Davies, they found some “pretty smelly things”, with the year groups taking their findings back into a lesson environment to discuss further.

Reception class children also got the opportunity to enhance their learning at the Forest School facility, which continued their topic on Bears.

They found out about a Bear’s habitat, which is normally in the woodland area, before getting creative under the supervision of staff to create their very own Bear Caves to round off another hugely productive half term from the enthusiastic pupils.

Rydal Penrhos Forest School makes use of our unique woodland setting to promote an innovative approach to outdoor learning.

It focuses on providing a safe, outdoor learning experience where children and young people are encouraged to explore, discover, take suitable risks and learn in a secure area of woodland.

The philosophy of Forest School is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences. The programme originated in Scandinavia and is underpinned by thorough research into the learning behaviour of children at an early age and how best to develop this.