What is Forest Schools Education?

To fully appreciate and enjoy this presentation, turn up the volume and use the arrows to navigate. I hope it captures the essence of this key area of learning. If you would like to find out more or require more information, please say hello@garethmate.com.

My Explore, Learn, Create Book

Based on my passion, interests, and experiences, I have written my first book about outdoor learning and its potential benefits. In the book, I share insights from running a successful Forest School in England and provide practical notes and advice for those interested in taking their learning outdoors. If you want to learn more, please click on the book image above.

Lessons - In the outdoors combined with the classroom

I am fortunate to be able to teach lessons outdoors every week, either in the local woodland environment, on the school grounds or at the nearby beach. I find that the outdoors provide a great opportunity for creative and intrinsic learning experiences, and I use it to enhance and support my regular classroom lessons with new and exciting techniques. All my lessons are hands-on and interactive, and I naturally incorporate an outdoor theme into the curriculum through language, writing, art, or PSHE-style lessons. As a result, I have a wealth of resources and knowledge that could help you plan a meaningful and practical outdoor lesson, which supports and enriches the curriculum in a variety of ways.

Nature Art

As a practical example of how you can make this activity work, my group and I went to the woodland to work on a mini art and writing project. The task was to create a meaningful image using materials found in the environment and use it to retell a story. We had 30 minutes to search for materials before beginning the image design. Once we completed the image, we focused on writing a short creative explanation. In previous classes, we learned how to improve our story-starter techniques and modify our content delivery by using a range of powerful adjectives and adverbs. This project was a perfect opportunity to connect with nature, art, drama, and writing.

Outdoor Maths

I believe that conducting maths lessons outdoors and using easily available materials can be a valuable experience for both teachers and students, whenever it is feasible to do so.

It is apparent that many children struggle with understanding mathematical concepts, and practical strategies and ideas demonstrated in a non-traditional classroom setting can help establish a greater understanding and boost their confidence, as well as their overall knowledge and understanding.

For example, children can easily use a handful of sticks and chalk to create an interactive version of the multiplication grid method. Working in pairs can encourage discussion, and the group can provide each other with necessary feedback and support to enable them to gain a greater understanding of what they are learning.

I feel this approach works well as it provides significantly more opportunities for children of all ages and abilities to solidify tricky maths concepts away from a conventional classroom setting.

Colour and Text Lesson

I have created a worksheet to support a colour and texture walk. You can email me at hello@garethmate.com for the pdf or visit my resources site for more. Gareth Mate's Teaching Resources - Teaching Resources - TES