Our young explorers have been swapping the classroom for the canopy this week! From the crackle of the campfire to the squelch of the mud, Forest School is where the real magic happens.

This Week’s Highlights:

• Mastering the Flame: Our Year 4s demonstrated incredible maturity while learning campfire safety and toasting the perfect golden marshmallows! 

• Whittling Wonders: After passing their safety checks, students tried their hand at greenwood whittling, turning simple branches into works of art.

• Forest Engineering: We’ve seen some incredible teamwork, from building "shelters" for lost forest critters to constructing ramps for our big wheel races!

• Not forgetting the log-lifting competition on Tuesday.

Why we love outdoor learning:

Forest School isn’t just about getting muddy (though that is a bonus!). It’s where our pupils build:

1. Resilience by tackling physical challenges.

2. Confidence through tool-use and safety skills.

3. Empathy by caring for our local environment.

#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #PrimaryEducation #WildAndFree #LearningThroughPlay #NatureClassroom

On their visit to Kent Wildlife Trust, they had a go at pond dipping and dam
building and learnt all about rivers and beavers. They even had a game of
Pooh Sticks!

They did a lot of walking so there were a few sleepy children on the journey
back to school!

What a week! From mastering complex knots to surviving "four seasons in one hour," our young explorers have been incredibly busy.

The Cobra Stitch ChallengeThis week was all about paracord mastery! We tackled the tricky Cobra Stitch—a durable knot used by survivalists and hikers. It took a lot of focus and "sticky-fingered" patience, but the results were amazing.Starfish Class named their paracord people: Reuben 2.0, Stanley, Stella, Craig, David, Steve, Mike, Gregg, Katie, Lamar, and Gary! A huge shout-out to our "Master Knot-Tyers" who stepped up to teach their friends. Seeing that teamwork and leadership in action is what Forest School is all about!Did you know? The paracord we used is so strong it can hold up to 250kg! That’s like lifting a small grizzly bear! 

Four Seasons for the Otters

It was the final Wednesday session for our Otter Group, and Mother Nature decided to give them a bit of everything! They braved:  Wind  Rain  Sun  ...and even some Hail! Despite the wild weather, the group stayed cozy by the fire, whittling greenwood and enjoying some well-earned toasted marshmallows.

#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #PrimaryEducation #Resilience #BushcraftSkills #Teamwork 

Week four at Forest School was a masterclass in craftsmanship and community. Our young explorers officially finished their wooden pig projects, showing incredible focus while using electric drills and secateurs. From cutting wood-wedge ears to fitting those perfect twisted tails, the attention to detail was top-tier!

But the magic didn't stop at the workbench. This week, we saw:

• The Big Build: A family home was constructed, which naturally led to...

• A Forest Wedding: Complete with imaginative guests and a beautiful outdoor "venue."

• High-Altitude Fun: Tree-climbing remains a fan-favorite for testing limits and building confidence.

• The Dream Team: Our washing-up crew proved that even chores are a blast when you're splashing around with your best friends.

It’s about more than just skills; it’s about that quality time spent together in the fresh air. Who knew a mud kitchen and some woodwork could create such a busy, happy community?

#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #PrimaryEducation #YoungMakers #NaturePlay

What a week for our Year 4 explorers! From life-saving skills to woodland masterpieces, the forest was buzzing with energy this week. 

Mini-Medics in Training

Year 4 showed incredible maturity this week as we tackled First Aid in the Wild. We practiced the DR ABC protocol to help an unconscious casualty. It was amazing to see them stay calm, clear the airway, and check for breathing like total pros! Ask your child if they can remember what the 'D' and 'R' stand for!

A big shout out for our amazing Year 6 volunteers, to act out a real scenario. 

Clay Creations

After the excitement of our rescue scenarios, we slowed things down with some nature-inspired art. Using messy clay and treasures found on the forest floor, we saw everything from starfishes to magical forest animals and fruits like strawberries.

#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #Year4Adventures #FutureFirstAiders #NatureArt #PrimaryEducation

Year 4 had a brilliant Week 2 at Forest School! With the digging hole finally dry, the hunt was on to see how deep we could go. We hit a layer of chalk and even met some of our local "underground residents" as spiders and bugs began to emerge. We even saw a yellow butterfly, spreading its wings in the sun.

But the real excitement happened at the workbench! Our young engineers have been mastering:

• Precision Drilling: Using electric drills to develop fine motor skills.

• Safety First: Learning to clamp wood securely and use a steady hand.

• Creative Construction: Building dens and "cosy zones" to relax in.

It’s amazing to see their confidence grow with every saw and drill!

#ForestSchool #Year4 #OutdoorLearning #YoungEngineers 

Our Year 4 explorers had a brilliant week last week at Forest School! From the moment we stepped into the woods, Otter and Starfish Class proved they are absolute pros at following our safety rules. Mrs. Cresswell couldn't be prouder! 

Here’s a look at what we got up to:

• Building Dreams: Move over, architects! Our budding builders were out in full force, creating some seriously impressive structures.

• The Mud Bakery: The digging hole might be closed, but the "Mud Café" was open for business! We saw some Five-Star mud cakes and intricate models being crafted. 

• Branching Out: The climbing tree was the place to be! It was amazing to see the children building confidence and cheering each other on as they reached new heights. 

Check out the photos below to see our forest fun in action! 

#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #Year4 #OtterClass #StarfishClass #LearningOutside #BuddingBuilders

Here are our weekly highlights:  Tool Safety: We mastered using hammers safely! The children showed great concentration creating wonderful wooden hedgehogs with different types of nails  Green Fingers: On Monday, we planted snowdrops, crocuses, and anemones for next spring. A huge thank you to The Range for donating the bulbs!  Muddy Marvels: Tuesday’s rain didn’t stop us—waterproofs went on and a magnificent mudslide was built!  Sunshine & Skills: Wednesday gave us beautiful sunshine for small-group hammering and having a good chat with our friends.

We are so proud of how resilient and creative the children are, drizzle or shine!

 Ask your child: What was the most important rule when using the hammer?

#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #PrimaryEducation  #Resilience #MuddyPlay #ThankYou The Range

A huge thank you to The Range, Sittingbourne, who very kindly donated the bulbs to us!

What a week for Manta Ray Class! Our young woodsmen and woodswomen stepped up to the challenge of using heavy tools with incredible focus and maturity.

Safety was the name of the game. Before a single blade touched wood, the class mastered their safety positions at the sawhorse.

• Teamwork: Using the bow-saws in pairs to find that perfect rhythm.

• Precision: Learning to use a billhook and mallet to split wood safely and effectively. Watching them protect themselves and their partners while building these "life skills" was the highlight of our week!

To celebrate a job well done, we opened the doors of Cafe Forest School on Thursday. Our "customers" were treated to a world-class menu including:

• Fresh sandwiches

• Hand-rolled sushi

• Warm apple pies

• Fresh tea and coffee

It’s been a week of building confidence, managing risks, and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

#ForestSchool #MantaRayClass #OutdoorLearning #YoungExplorers #ToolSafety

Our Design and Technology in Crocodile Class this term is ‘Eat the Seasons’. We are learning that particular vegetables grow at specific times of the year as they have evolved to grow in line with seasonal conditions, such as the temperature and rainfall. 

We are also learning how to prepare and cook those vegetables for eating. This week, we worked together as a class to make a ‘Winter Vegetable and Lentil Soup’. We discussed the bridge hold and claw grip for cutting, as well as how to slice and dice. The children measured out ingredients in grams and tablespoons, adding everything to our pot of delicious soup.

We were particularly impressed with the children’s dicing, and they were rewarded with a tasting portion of our warming winter wonder.

Outside, the highlight of the week was definitely our Blackberry Jam. After prepping the summer harvest, we gathered around the fire pit for some safe stirring and a very tasty crumpet snack.

While Wednesday’s rain meant our site was a bit too soggy to use, Forest School didn’t stop! We took the magic indoors with:  Nature Top Trumps, Leaf rubbing and hole-punching leaves,  Investigating bugs, trees, and birds.

Huge thanks to Mason in Year 6 for being our wood-chopper this week!

• Worms and Centipedes

• Slugs

• A Woodlouse Spider: A particularly exciting find! These are fascinating because they are one of the few predators specialized to hunt woodlice.

Clay Creations & Fossils 

Clay was the star of the week, appearing in every session.

Ankaja did a wonderful job connecting art with history by recreating a fossil found by Mary Anning. It’s fantastic to see the children learning about the "Mother of Paleontology" while working with earth materials. On Monday and Wednesday, the willow wigwam provided a perfect natural workshop.

The "Digging Hole" became a character of its own this week! On Tuesday and Thursday with over 2 feet of water in the digging hole, the site became a temporary wetland and had to be abandoned. However the learning didn't stop. The group transitioned to:

• Wildlife TopTrumps: A great way to learn animal stats and facts.

• Leaf Rubbings: Bringing the textures of the forest floor indoors.

• Ornithology: Studying British birds to help identify friends in our trees.

• And crafty clay creations.

We enjoyed a Magical Garden wellbeing workshop last week, led by Jacqui Cameron, exploring her book ‘My Magical Garden’. We all imagined what our garden looked like in a guided wellbeing session. This gives us a place we can go to in our imagination if we are feeling anxious or upset.

You may have heard the children talking about the glue-ister?! In order to take care of the glue sticks we use in class, we have a set of glue helpers - complete with woolly hats! So we have Sticky Sue, Gluewis, Tacky Tony, Adhesive Annie, Gummy Gabriel, Clingy Carl, Fixative Fred, Gloopy Gill, Pastey Pete, Ellie Epoxy, Bondy Brian, Fusing Faith, Sealant Sam, Fastening Faye, Anchoring Alan and Gunky Grace! Since we’ve included this idea into our class and have been taking a daily register (glue-ister), we’ve not lost a glue stick or lid - thank you glue gang, we really appreciate you.

As a school, we have launched Westie Walkers, where we note down those who are able to walk, scooter or bike to school. This compliments the eco and sustainability approach to our school. Our school councillor has been taking numbers each day and these are submitted to a whole school count!

We love to read…in Starfish we have seen an increase in the number of pupils who are regularly reading - well done. Keep up the good work as it earns us dojos and helps us to go up the ‘reading ladder’. In Class we are reading ‘The Mountain of Adventure’ in our Reading sessions and our book for pleasure is ‘How to Train Your Parents’. We have a selection of books to enjoy in class and others which can be taken home to read. Our school library also has a vast selection of fiction and non-fiction books and comics, which can be borrowed by the pupils.

We are keen for the children to keep up the work they are doing on Times Table Rock Stars - this is great for improving their skills and lots of fun too. Starfish won Mr Colbran’s January challenge - great stuff guys!

In music this week, we played along with glockenspiels and tried to accompany the first song we have learnt, called ‘Bind Us Together’. Everyone participated well and followed the notes they needed to play.

What a chilly start for Flamingo and Manta Ray Classes’ first Forest School sessions this week! Mrs. Cresswell was incredibly proud that our Year 3s remembered all their essential safety rules straight away, meaning they could get stuck straight into digging, building, and climbing.

Despite the cold, the imaginations were firing! On Tuesday, we tried catching snowflakes on our tongues, saw a coven of 'witches' dancing on broomsticks, and some budding engineers built a fantastic den with a leaf-insulated roof to keep it cosy inside.

Wednesday brought the mud! Manta Ray Class got very stuck in, but we saw incredible teamwork as they worked together to rescue each other (and their wellies!) from the glorious squelchy mud.

A fantastic, resilient week of outdoor learning.

They have now moved onto their Winter Writing piece focussed on the short film ‘The Girl and the Fox’ and to help them get into character they practised creating freeze frames from key points within the story.

Alongside their time busily writing, Merlin class have been learning about Artificial Selection in Science and debating on whether they agree or disagree with it based on the advantages and disadvantages they learnt. This led to some very good discussions as well as amazing pieces of work. 

To finish off the week, some children in the class created some beautiful snowflakes with Miss Simmers in a craft activity.

What a busy week for the children!

The children worked incredibly hard, mastering their songs and lines and even crafting their own adorable hats. Their excitement at performing for their parents and carers was infectious, and their singing filled the hall with festive cheer.

We are bursting with pride for all of our young performers! A massive thank you to our wonderful parents and carers for all your incredible support!

What a journey it's been for Year 1 at Forest School! Our final session was the biggest challenge yet: Greenwood Whittling! 

The children embraced the task, mastering essential skills like maintaining their 'blood bubble,' proper knife grip, and the golden rule: Always whittle away from your body!

The reward? Perfectly toasted marshmallows over the fire for delicious S'mores! It was a brilliant, skill-building, and memorable way to wrap up the term.

A huge thank you again to our brilliant Year 6 assistants who were superstars over the last two terms. 

Ask your child about their favorite part and whether they nailed the whittling technique!

In maths we have been using number tracks to solve subtraction problems. Then we have been using part, part, whole models to really understand the problems to strengthen our understanding of number.

In science we have been looking at seasonal change. We loved learning about deciduous and evergreen trees over the past weeks and this week we learnt how animals are affected by the seasons. Looking at bird migration and hibernation, it was fascinating!

We had to work together as a team to programme the mouse bot with a sequence of instructions using Logo - a computer language. We had to move the mouse from the starting point to find the cheese, it was lots of fun.

Owl Class have had the best time at Forest School! We used a bow saw to cut wood into disks, then we drilled a hole in the disk to make our beautiful Christmas decorations. We have been playing in the digging pit, exploring, den building and dragging our friends around on a sledge. Finishing with a warming hot chocolate, delicious!

The weather changed daily (from stormy Monday to sunny Tuesday & Wednesday and back to rainy Thursday!), but our learning never stopped!

A massive shout-out to our brilliant Year 6 assistants! Not only did they help us with the intricate drilling and tying of paracord or string, but they showed amazing creativity by building a pallet sledge and giving us rides!  What teamwork!

The children listened intently as Matt explained about the importance of rhythm and beat and enjoyed a fantastic solo performance by him as part of their assembly.

Each class then participated in their own workshop, allowing every child to play their own djembe drum to various beats and experience playing as part of a drum circle.  Later in the day, each class performed what they had learned to the rest of the year group.

The children all thoroughly enjoyed this experience, the smiles on their faces said it all! 

In addition to this skill-based learning, Year 6 attended the Sittingbourne War Memorial last week.  This visit tied in nicely not only with Remembrance Day but also to promote ideas linked to their personification poetry.  The children recognised the memorial to local Victoria Cross awardee Donald Dean - whom we have learned about recently and Merlin Class were lucky enough to meet his Great Nephew who just happened to be passing by!

The children were very respectful during this trip, as was commented on by various members of the public, which is always lovely to hear. 

Jamie thoroughly enjoyed his time at the school and was really impressed with both children’s and teachers ability with a ball!

Thank you to Mr Holliday for arranging, but also to Mr Colbran who put the school in touch with Jamie to start with.

The children fully embraced odd sock day, which was part of our Anti Bullying Week and
enjoyed a live assembly delivered by the BBC on Tuesday where they learnt how to be an ‘upstander’ to help prevent bullying.

In PE this term, we are playing invasion games and the class loved playing Treasure Chest, where they had to collect as many beanbags as they could from a central hoop. They especially enjoyed it where they were allowed to steal beanbags from other teams’ hoops!

The Otters are very excited about learning all about Robotics in Computing this term and got to meet Marty in their first lesson. He will be helping them learn how to programme a robot to dance and kick a ball!

The children have been very busy in Maths, learning about multiplying and dividing. Here is an example of all the multiplication and division facts they have been working on!