Roselyn House Outdoor School is a unique educational experience and process that offers children the opportunity to succeed and develop confidence, resilience, creativity independence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland environment.

Children engage in motivating and achievable tasks and activities throughout the year and in almost all weathers, with the appropriate footwear and clothing. Children will work with tools, play, learn and begin to understand the boundaries of behaviour, both physical and social They will grow in confidence, resilience, creativity independence and self-esteem and motivation whilst developing an understanding of the natural world.

The Forest School concept originates in Denmark, originally aimed at pre- school children, where it was found that children who had attended forest school then arrived at school with strong social and communication skills, having the ability to work in groups effectively, generally had high self-esteem and a confidence in their own abilities. These foundations helped them to raise their academic achievements.

A Forest School encourages children to:

• develop personal and social skills
• work through practical problems and challenges
• use tools to create, build or manage
• discover how they learn best
• pursue knowledge that interests them
• learn how to manage failures
• build confidence in decision making and evaluating risk
• develop practical skills
• understand the benefits of a balanced and healthy lifestyle
• explore connections between humans, wildlife and the earth
• regularly experience achievement and success
• reflect on learning and experiences
• develop their language and communication skills
• improve physical motor skills
• become more motivated
• improve their concentration skills
• improve their communication
• and explore the world through all the senses available to them

WHAT HAPPENS AT RHOC?

Typically, small groups of individuals (depending on child/adult ratio) take part in a programme of six weekly sessions lasting for about an hour. The sessions involve practical hands-on activities which aim to build up participants’ skills, abilities and confidence week by week. 

All sessions are designed and led by our trained staff, with the help and direction of our RHOC practitioner. However, RHOC strongly encourages participant–led learning, so as the weeks progress, learners are given more freedom and responsibility to explore their interests and therefore initiate and direct their own learning. 

RHOC uses natural resources to stimulate imagination, creativity and investigation. Activities can include:

• Shelter building 
• Natural art
• Using knots and lashings
• Fire lighting
• Animal tracking
• Bug hunts
• Tree investigations
• Climbing and balancing
• Woodwork using tools, e.g. making musical instruments, jewellery, decorative items
• Creating bug homes and bird feeders
• Collecting, identifying and sorting natural materials such as leaves
• Team games

Most activities are curriculum-linked and span a number of subjects, including Math’s, English, Design & Technology, Science, Music and Art. RHOC sits wonderfully in the topic based skills curriculum and the development of the Personal Learning and Thinking Skills we foster at Roselyn House.