top of page
Sticks and Ropes Forest School Sheffield
What...
Ethos
We offer a focused experience based on the interests and abilities of our children. Our aim is to enhance physical, emotional and spiritual development through short and long term projects, tailored with, and for, our children.
Encompassing the forest school ethos, we create a daily routine designed to settle and prepare for what will unfold. We always start with a welcoming ritual which grounds us in the present moment. This is an opportunity to check in with each other, discuss the session and share our thoughts.
We incorporate structured and free flow time into our day, allowing time for the children to follow our lead, and provide opportunities for exploring on their own initiative.
Our activities entice children to get into the flow and invest their energy in meaningful projects.
Why...
We believe that education should not only prepare children for life, but it should be a part of it. We as educators should not be spending so much time teaching, as leading our students directly into the decision making process. Engaging the learner through activities which have 'real-world', or practical application is part of integrated, or whole person learning, incorporating the heart, the mind and the hands. Not only is it important that the activities have real world application, but it is important that participants have as much input into the design, planning and implementation of the idea as possible, so that it becomes more about satisfying an inner curiosity, and pursuing their own learning journey than about meeting pre-determined, measurable outcomes. The forest school approach to teaching and learning, which was observed in kindergartens in Scandinavia before becoming established here in the UK, is a tried and tested way of helping groups of children and adults to understand risk, to develop resilience, and establish close connections to each other, to nature and to themselves.
How...
In order to meet our learners on a level playing field, we will often start a session from the same level of inquiry and prior knowledge as them. We feel it is a very important practice to get our participants invested in the story or theme to our sessions by being engaged ourselves. If we all find ourselves on day 1 on a desert island, we will be just as keen to explore the environment and work out what to do with the resources we find as the children. Incorporating imaginative play, and a bit of drama into our approach is crucial because if we are going to offer 'real-life' scenarios and experiences, with deep learning as our main aim, our participants are going to need to be invested in the story.
That way, the working with tools, the painting and sculpting, the creating of stories and the many other expressive outcomes we have in mind for the children become internally motivated. We can then blend technology and design, art and tool work, literacy and music into meaningful projects, where children take ownership over the whole process under our guidance.
We are aiming to grow a community where children have the space to present their creations, take pride in their projects, and discuss their ideas and thoughts amongst themselves and grown-ups alike. Parents are encouraged to come and celebrate these experiences with their children as and where possible, and we will help to create opportunities for participants to showcase their favourite achievements.
We are also very keen to make these experiences available to all families, including those who may struggle to afford alternative provision but feel their child would really benefit from it. Please contact us if you would like to enquire about help we can provide towards accessing these sessions at reduced rates. We would also like to offer some free spaces on all our sessions to refugee children, and you can get in touch to discuss these options further on your own behalf or someone else's.
bottom of page