BPS Forest School & Adventure School

PARK

INTRODUCTION

Forest School (Nursery to Y4) and Adventure School (Y3 – Y8) both play an intrinsic part in the Outdoor Quadrant at Bickley Park. Both programmes help develop confidence, teamwork, resilience and problem-solving skills, all of which are vital for a child’s personal and social development.

Forest School takes place on-site in one of our two fantastic, dedicated Forest School areas. Here the children’s natural, playful curiosity and exploration of the world around them is actively encouraged and they are taken through a ‘toolbox’ of skills where confidence and selfesteem are core to their learning.

Adventure School builds neatly on the Forest School experience within a programme of residential trips that take place each Summer Term. The scheme sees all children in Years 3 to 8 focus on progressively demanding outdoor skills and challenges. From camping in the Peak District and the South Downs to a Kayaking adventure along the Cornish Coast, the trips are fun, exciting and motivational.

All in all, our aim is to foster teamwork and leadership skills, whilst developing independence, initiative and the ability to manage risk – setting our children up with essential skills for life.

Tom Quilter Headmaster

FOREST SCHOOL

A typical session for Pre-Prep might involve bug hunting, seasonal crafts and cooking over the fire. Sessions are led by a qualified Forest School practitioner and are often linked to the curriculum, such as burning cardboard houses based on the topic of the Great Fire of London in Year 2 or making dinosaur nests linked to the popular pre-historic topic in Year 1. The children also love exploring the changing seasons, from the stunning autumnal coloured leaves that adorn the trees in the colder months, to the bluebells and spring flowers that appear below their feet in the springtime.

When the children start at our Prep site, they get the opportunity to continue their Forest School journey, by taking part in weekly Forest School Skills sessions in Years 3 and 4. In these lessons, we build on the three core skills of forest school; understanding fire, knot work and tool skills.

CORE SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT

• Fire Building

• Knot Work

• Tool Work

• Den Building

• Outdoor Cooking

• Hiking and Mountaineering

• Kayaking and Rafting

• Camping

ADVENTURE SCHOOL

Our Adventure School residential trips in Y3 to Y8 focus on progressively demanding skills and challenges; from den building, outdoor cooking and fire building to hiking, camping, kayaking and mountaineering.

This programme helps develop resilience, leadership and teamwork in all our children and helps them learn how to be confident, collaborative and well prepared for their future.

Adventure School also provides the children with strong role models and mentors, who offer the right level of support, encouragement and guidance. As a result, we see children develop in confidence and independence as the programme progresses.

ADVENTURE SCHOOL DESTINATIONS

Adventure School destinations are chosen so that each year group has the best experience determined by their age and level of experience.

• Y3: A two-day, one night trip in picturesque woodland staying in cosy sleeping pods.

• Y4: A two-night stay in safari style bell tents within a woodland setting, immersing themselves in challenging Bushcraft activities.

• Y5: A two-night stay in safari style bell tents, with increasingly challenging Bushcraft activities and campfire cooking.

• Y6: A four-night stay in an Active Learning Centre enjoying a range of adventurous and challenging experiences throughout a week-long trip.

• Y7 & Y8: A four- night coastal stay offering a wide range of outdoor activities both off and in the water, including mountaineering, kayaking and rafting, surrounded by spectacular scenery.