This summer we were presented with a really exciting opportunity, to create a new forest school for our Education and Early Years students!

It has been fantastic to see this come to fruition, with support from across faculty to make this such an exciting environment for learners. A couple of weeks ago, we joined forces with Construction staff to clear the brambles and build a wooden bridge to make the area safe and ready for learners.

The concept of Forest Schools originated in Scandinavia. The teaching approach was widely adopted in Denmark throughout the 1980’s and was believed to be the solution to the lack of indoor facilities for Pre-School children.

In the early 1990’s a group of nursery practitioners visited Sweden and witnessed the benefits. Following their return to the UK they developed a programme for Forest Schools. Forest Schools has now become widely accepted across the UK and the approach has taken on its own unique flavour which is being adopted elsewhere in the world.

The Education Career Excellence Hub at Weston College has always spent time on the theories and delivery linked to Forest schools, but this year with the support of our Future Business Partner’s Puxton Park and Busy Buddies, our learners can experience their own dedicated area on a weekly basis.

At Weston College we are committed to supporting learners to become more environmentally conscious, and we are always looking for ways to help the younger generations appreciate the outdoors and natural environments – with this being the next step in our journey.

There is also an increasing awareness of the importance of understanding wellbeing and self-development from a young age, so it is vital that our learners here at Weston College get the chance to understand and develop the skills required as they enter this Education sector changing for the future.

Going forward, our T Level learners will be instrumental in designing this space as part of their programme, and will study the holistic and learner led approach where space allows children to take risk and problem – solving a natural environment.

The Education Career Excellence Hub at Weston College delivers a wide range of courses where learners can go on into a teaching profession, teaching assistant, nursery professional, childminder or educational support. Find our full suite of course, by clicking here.

Sandra Bull, Dean of Faculty for Service Sectors