Inspection report 2-3 March 2010

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Dean Barwick is a :

FOREST SCHOOL

The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences.

Our forest school activities are one element of an education that begins in the Foundation Stage and builds over the years, to the John Muir Award in KS2.

The children enjoy dedicated ‘forest school time’ for one afternoon per week during the academic year.
In KS2, the children bring in suitable clothing and footwear; KS1 have full waterproof suits provided by us.
The children use all the natural areas around the school. These feature wooded areas, bushes, a steep hill and a woodland classroom. We also have a newly developed pond and wildlife area to allow pond dipping activities and bird watching.

We want all our children to reach their full potential, and the Forest School ideal supports this by promoting self awareness, self regulation, intrinsic motivation, empathy, good social communication skills, independence, a positive mental attitude, self-esteem and confidence.

Our children visit the same local areas on a regular basis, and through play, they have the opportunity to learn about the natural environment, how to handle risks and most importantly use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others.