Nurturing School Transitions

Parent Family Support Advisors
play too! 

I have now had a bit more time to reflect on the two days that Lisa Chell and I ran for young people moving from primary to secondary schools in the Taunton area.  The lovely people from Taunton Learning Partnership (TLP) had bid for money under the Governments "summer schools" programme; a new initiative to help kids on free school meals to get extra support when moving up to secondary schools.

They had asked us to run two weeks of activities for two different groups... and then they had the hard work of enrolling both the schools and the young people.

In the end, there was not enough take-up, despite hours of work by the TLP Parent Family Support Advisors... not all children on free school meals need or are able to take up the extra support and the timescales for enrolment were ridiculously short  - often the way with the current Government's initiatives. I'd be really interested to know if anyone else runs these kind of sessions using Forest School as an approach.

the 'friendship tree'

In the end , the TLP commissioned us to run just two days, with one group of 14 young people each
day. Many of these kids 'done' forest school in their primary setting, but not all. So our challenge and focus was to help them make friends, build confidence and experience some kind of success at building new relationships in a completely different place.

We started the days with the 'friendship tree'  - our favourite oak draped in wool threads. Each young person had to find another they didn't yet know, then select wool threads to twist or weave together into a friendship bracelet. It worked well, especially when we prompted the pairs to find out just a little more about each other!

building lunch

We made dens, cooked quesadillsas , played games and crafted all kinds of amazing creations. Cooking lunch together was great fun - everyone made their own quesadilla and we cooked them on the fire.  Quesadillas are my latest answer to how to get everyone involved in healthy food. Flatbreads spread with tomato puree, chopped peppers, tomatoes and cheese. Wrap in tin foil, (write initials on the foil) and lay on the trivet over a pretty hot embers. Turn a couple of times and presto - hot, tasty and nutritious.

At the end of the second day we went back to the tree and the young people wrote their thank-yous and tied them to the tree.  Despite the relentless rain in the morning, they had all made friends and learnt new things.  One of the cards says "thanks for a good day although it poured down", so I shall worry less about the rain next time!

These days worked well because of the all the people who helped make them happen.  We have a growing band of volunteers - for these two days there were four essential helpers to did making, stoked fires, helped chop, wash and generally be our extra hands. Thanks!

Summer Family Forest Sessions

leaving a mark

PLAY, PLAY, PLAY!  We've just finished a week of working with families who came to us through our local Parent Family Support Advisors.  I still haven't counted up how many children, parents and carers who have played in the woods -  two sessions a day for five days.  

They are short sessions with what we hope is high impact, as the people who come often don't get the chance to do this kind of thing at any other time. 

magical staff!

Highlights of the week included ....

messy mud sculptures, as we have clay that we can dig right      next to our site
clay handprints woven into a lashed frame
mud faces and flower decorated trees
woolly, web branches 
perfect campfire popcorn


Two things that helped us create such magical sessions this summer... One is our great new kitchen area at Young Wood and the other is a the amazing group of volunteers who gave up a day or two to play, tend the fire, make tea and generally have fun with us.  Young Wood is becoming a really solid home for woodland play, nurturing with nature and forest school in Somerset. Very exciting! 

Lisa and volunteer Sam, end of day clear-up in the kitchen!