If you go down to the woods today.... the benefits of Forest School for children with SEMH needs

catjolleys.com

 

Forest School is a concept first established in Denmark in the 19th century, it came to the UK in the 1990s and is now an established part of many schools’ curriculum, particularly in the Early Years.  Its roots reach back to the open-air culture, friluftsliv  (a Norwegian concept meaning; a love of being in nature without disturbing it). Fundamentally, a child-led, investigative learning approach which supports play, exploration and supported risk taking to develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on experiences in a natural setting. These are benefits for all learners, but when I was Deputy Headteacher at an SEMH primary school, I saw first-hand the particular benefits for children with SEMH, when we first introduced Forest School.

Myself and my colleagues knew most of the children would demonstrate quite a limited focus and engagement in the classroom and we were well used to delivering short bursts of learning, 10-15 minutes in length, before moving onto a new activity or location in order to keep the children learning and engaged and to avoid someone becoming dysregulated. When Forest School was first introduced the children were excited and viewed it as an additional playtime. So did the staff, so their excitement levels were slightly lower!

However, the apprehensions and concerns of staff soon dissolved when they began to notice the benefits, both during the sessions and a lasting positive effect, long after the sessions had ended. Staff anecdotally shared how child A would stay focused and absorbed in eg. whittling a spoon from a discarded piece of wood, for 20-25 minutes, whilst child B would become lost (not literally) in the woods, collaboratively searching (with peers they'd normally avoid or clash with) for the best bit of kindling to light the fire for marshmallow melting, to end the session.

These were children who found static, adult-led classroom learning, challenging. All the children had an EHCP for SEMH, with many having diagnoses of Autism, ADHD or other neurodivergencies and all had been excluded or at risk of exclusion from their previous, mainstream primary. They had all, without exception, had negative experiences of their previous schools where, as hard as the staff had tried to include them and keep them regulated, their needs just couldn't be met and trauma had resulted. This presented as; a lack of trust in adults, a fear and often dislike of learning and academic success, a dislike of being physically close to peers and often a strong intolerance of being inside a classroom. The outside and accompanying space, quiet and freedom from whiteboards and pencils, was a balm to them and they flourished.

Research has uncovered some of the benefits of using Forest School as a Trauma Informed approach for all children, but of increased benefit to children who have experienced trauma and are quick to dysregulate in a classroom environment, are;

★      Confidence; children have time, space, autonomy and permission to develop independence and be creative

★      Social skills; children develop the empathy and awareness of the needs of others and the consequence and impact of their own actions on others. They develop skills of sharing and patience when sharing tools etc and joining in with play

★      Communication; child-led play and interaction with others in an environment with less spoken input from adults and more sensory stimulation, leads to greater language acquisition and developed communication skills

★      Motivation; being outdoors, the inclusion of play, freedom and creativity leads to a keenness to participate and improved concentration and focus over time

★      Physical skills; developed fine and gross motor skills have been observed and characterised by increased physical stamina and manipulation of tools for play and exploration

★      Knowledge and understanding; a developed interest in the natural world and our surroundings and an increased respect for the environment, have all been observed in children who access Forest School.

Research has also demonstrated that outdoor learning is increasingly seen as an important way of connecting children with nature. Time spent in nature has also been found to encourage the development of environmentally conscious behaviour by fostering and appreciation of the natural world.

Research in 2020, found the use of the outdoors as both a physical and emotional space, has particular beneficial consequences for children with SEMH needs. A two-year continuous forest school programme, found a potential for it to become a space for more-than-social pedagogies in which children care for other worlds, emphasising the importance of building confidence and resilience in the pupils as well as allowing opportunities for feelings to be explored in a safe way within a forest school space.

The benefits of Forest School for children who may be marginalised in our schools, are many and plentiful and go beyond how to take off wellies by yourself.

I am now training to become a Forest School teacher and living my best friluftsliv life.

Cat Jolleys     catjolleys.com