What is Forest School?
Forest school is a holistic approach to learning that engages children in powerful learning experiences in an outdoor environment and we’re proud to introduce these learning opportunities to our youngest learners.
Mrs Sarah Emeny, Head of Enabling Environments at Regents International School Pattaya explains, “Forest School uses the natural world as a resource that enables children to develop and refine the Characteristics of Effective Learning including being Active Learners, Playing and Exploring and becoming Creative and Critical Thinkers.”
Forest School is a long-term process of frequent and regular sessions in a natural environment. During Forest School, children are involved in long uninterrupted periods of learning in a natural environment. Forest School leaders work to plan and facilitate experiences that recognise every child as a unique learner and promote each child’s well-being, social, emotional, spiritual, cognitive, physical and communication development.
The curriculum provides learners with the opportunity to take supported, calculated risks in a managed environment. Children are encouraged to be self-aware and understand their own capabilities and to become aware of risks and to make supported risk assessments.
“Forest School is run by qualified practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice, which is true also at Regents. Our Forest School leaders provide the environment, opportunities, tools, and equipment to facilitate our children’s learning. The role of the Forest School leader is to allow the children to meet risk and challenges appropriate to their age, personality, and stage of development and to ensure their safety. Forest School leaders aim to foster learners’ meaningful connection to nature, spark their innate curiosity and build a sense of awe and wonder of the natural world.” Mrs Sarah Emeny ensures.
Our Forest Schools code
At Regents, we follow our Forest School Code to make sure we are safe and happy learners.
• Take care of the forest. This means respect the environment and all the plants and animals who live here. Keep our Forest free of rubbish and leave it as you would wish to find it.
• Take care of each other. This means respect the people you are working with, both adults and children. Be kind to others, listen to one another and help one another whenever you can.
• Take care of yourself. This means respect yourself. We want you to challenge yourself but please ask for help when you need it and think about your own safety.
