Environment / Education
Behind the flourishing of forest schools in Bristol
Rain drips from ash trees into the mud in a parcel of woodland in Leigh Court, but a few hardy teachers donning colourful waterproofs are readying areas for the day’s activities.
These could be anything from mushroom hunting and creating woodland tree spirits out of clay and pinecones to foraging berries, making jam and learning how to start fires.
This is Bristol Forest School, one of dozens of organisations where children learn through outdoor play all year round that have quietly put down roots in the city. They aim to immerse the young in nature, using the forest as a classroom instead of the traditional indoor teaching setting.
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More and more nurseries and primary schools are following suit, as parents react against the test-based learning imposed by government reforms and the national curriculum.
The movement in the UK was inherited from Danish outdoor kindergarten lessons based on friluftsliv (“open-air life”) principles.
Forest school leaders Andy Wilson and Veronika Simon – photo: Betty Woolerton
Bristol Forest School was started in 2004 by Andy Wilson after he worked for Sure Start with parents and under-fives in Knowle West.
“I got really excited about bringing children outside as opposed to being stuck in the classroom,” he tells Bristol24/7.
Wilson says forest school is about getting kids in touch with nature and away from their phones and computers, as well as away from their parents.
“There’s statistics that say children only get about 50 yards away from their mum and dad, whereas we got miles away when we were growing up. It’s great to come outside and give children that freedom again.”
Proponents say benefits include boosting curiosity, creativity, flexibility, strength, and social skills such as teamwork and resilience.
Wilson says: “If children come out for their first session, they can be nervous in the woodland. I had one child who said she couldn’t get past some branches across the path. ‘It’s going to hurt me’, she said. But eventually, we managed to get through.
“Then, over the weeks, they moved away from sticking around the circle to exploring the woods in little groups, using their initiative and creativity to come up with ideas.”
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What about the fire and the tools? “Everyday we think about the risks,” says forest school leader Veronika Simon. She says most people would be surprised how quickly children grasp the idea of safety.
“At the beginning, they have no awareness, because I strongly feel the UK is a risk-averse society. But the key is to involve them in risk assessments so they gain the tools to manage their own risks. Then, instead of darting around like maniacs, they think, ‘Oh, I am holding a chopstick, maybe I should put it down when I’m running.’”
Forest school works in urban environments too – anywhere with access to some outdoor space, explains Veronika. Bristol Forest School runs sessions in their private woodland as well as in playgrounds at schools.
Forest school is a grassroots moment without top-down government attention just yet. “I think there’s a general understanding about how wonderful being outdoors is and the benefits for one’s mental and physical health,” Veronika says. “But, at the moment, schools are funding forest schools from their own budget, basically taking money away from other things in the school.”
Arts and crafts often feature in sessions – photo: Bristol Forest School
The appetite for forest schools in Bristol continues to rise. In Westbury-on-Trym, Little Foxes recently opened a second forest school site due to “overwhelming demand” from families. The outdoor nursery was founded in 2018 in Stoke Park by two teachers and has a waiting list of over a year.
“We have been incredibly proud of the business we have been able to build and the difference the Little Foxes team has made to so many children,” said co-founder Janie Ankers.
“The fact that we have been oversubscribed for several years, combined with the feedback from families and a number of enquiries, has given us the confidence to open a second site in Westbury.”
This feature originally appeared in the latest Bristol24/7 quarterly magazine, available free across our city
Main photo: Bristol Forest School
Read next:
- School still not doing enough to address ‘serious weaknesses’
- Bristol nursery awarded ‘nursery of the year’
- Call for information on community-led wildlife action
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