Gloucestershire's first Forest School - near Whiteshill?

At the Parish Council meeting last night I raised the issue of Whiteshill School hoping to set up Gloucestershire's first Forest School. They are seeking an appropriate site.

John Pritchard at the school is looking for a site within walking distance of the school. If it is further away, past experience shows that the schemes are eventually abandoned due to transport costs. The area needed is usually no more than an acre (although the option to move to a different site within the woodland after a period is better for the natural environment). The gradient of the site should not be so steep as to pose a significant hazard to young children.

They have already written to the solicitors of the new owners of Ruscombe woods and may also consider Standish Woods or Sherman's Wood if that was possible? The National Trust campsite which has now closed may also be an option.

A Forest School scheme would be an excellent addition to the education of Whiteshill School children. They are an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning. At present there are no Forest Schools in this County, but they are well established in Wales, Herefordshire, Avon, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and many other counties. With Stroud's commitment to the environment it would be excellent for this area to lead Gloucestershire into this scheme. Forest Schools have been running in England for over 10 years and there are more than 200 schemes in operation. The idea originated in Scandanavia, where they have successfully used forest schools for decades.

The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire children (in this case they are considering reception and year 1 children) through positive experiences and participation in engaging and motivating achievable tasks and activities in a woodland environment, helping to develop personal, social and emotional skills:

~ Independence
~ Self-discovery
~ Confidence
~ Communication skills
~ Raised self-esteem

Forest Schools have demonstrated success with children of all ages who visit the same local woodlands on a regular basis and through play, learn about the natural environment, how to handle risks and most importantly to use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others. Programmes run throughout the year going to the woods in all weathers (except for high winds). This develops understanding of the world, the environment and everything within it through use of their emotions, imagination and senses. Children use full sized tools, play, learn boundaries of behaviour; both physical and social, grow in confidence, self-esteem and motivation.

The Parish Council seemed broadly supportive and shared ideas for possible sites. Does anyone else locally have ideas or offers?

More info at:
http://www.foresteducation.org/ and
http://www.evesham.ac.uk/forest/