Photos: Pupils make a new home in the forest at Ammerdown

By Somerset Standard | Friday, February 03, 2012, 06:45

Reception class pupils at Norton St Philip First School have gone back to nature as part of their learning, all thanks to the Forest School team.

SHELTER: Pupils in one of the dens
WARMING UP: Children and staff gather around the fire to heat water for hot chocolate and biscuits
CLEANING UP: Sebastian, four, clears the woodland
ASSAULT COURSE: Georgia, five, on the climbing net
KITCHEN SKILLS: William, four, does the washing up
LOOKOUT: Joshua with his binoculars
GOING UP: Joshua and James climb the cargo netting
KINDLING: Sophie, four, collects fire wood

The children visited Ammerdown, where the Frome Community Learning Partnership (FCLP) Forest School is based, and learnt how to build a fire, made hot chocolate, explored role play in the wooden dens, played hide and seek games and were challenged to run through the woods without falling over.

Reception teacher Louise Lemon said: "The children at Norton St Philip First School have been really excited over the prospect of the visit to Ammerdown.

"The Forest School team have put so much hard work and effort into making this fantastic resource.

"It is such a wonderful way for us all to learn and in just one session we have been able to cover the entire curriculum.

"We have been so impressed that we now have a forest school trained member of staff developing our own mini version on the school site, so everyone in Norton St Philip First School can benefit from the same experience."