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LDFSP 1.1 and 1.2 Summarise 2 recognised learning theories of learning and development and their application to a Forest School programme

Posted on by beckles23

There are a number of different learning theories which have had an effect on the way we work with children. Here I will summarise just two of the theories which I have been researching to aid my Forest School journey.

Piaget

Piaget is often thought of as the first person to take children’s thinking seriously. His theory was that children do not think as adults do and that their illogical speech actually showed their thought processes with order and logic. He said that it was a child’s interaction with the environment which creates their learning, a theory that is used widely at Forest School. He also said that children learn best when they do activities themselves rather than being shown how to do them. This hands-on learning style is fundamental to the Forest School approach where children are allowed to explore their ideas and take risks in order to learn. Piaget found that children learned best when they were curious and when their curiosity was not satisfied. There are lots of opportunities for this in a Forest School setting where children may find, for example, a fallen log. They will learn a lot by pulling the log over and seeing what creepy crawlies may be living underneath! Piaget said that children went through certain stages of development, but they may go through these stages at their own rate. The different stages of the children I work with are summarised below:

  • Sensorimotor (birth – 18 months) – babies rely on their reflexes and senses to explore the world. It is important to keep them safe but curious and motivated. In the woods, they can explore a whole new environment to develop their senses and pull themselves up on fallen trees/logs to develop their physical development.
  • Preoperational (18 months – 6 years) – in this stage the children are forming ideas based on what they observe and experience. They can adapt their knowledge as they experience more. As the woodlands are a whole new experience, children can learn a lot about how and why things happen. Through exploring nature they will learn about their world.

How these theories have been used in my Forest School programme

  • By providing a new and different environment for the children, we are enhancing their learning as Piaget suggested.
  • We follow a hands-on learning style while in the woods. The children learn through trial and error rather than being shown how to complete a task. The staff assist the children in their learning.
  • We follow The Curiosity Approach at our nursery and this approach extends to our Forest School sessions. We encourage the children to be curious about the world around them and explore anything they find in the wood which they are curious about. An example of this is the log picture above where the children were curious about what the log was and what might be underneath it. I then helped them to turn the log over so we could further investigate.
  • The children in my group are in the Preoperational Stage of Piaget’s theory. They are forming ideas based on what they observe and experience. By visiting the woods we are expanding on the children’s experiences and helping them to continuously adapt their knowledge.

Vygotsky

Vygotsky’s theory of childhood development was based on the idea that children learn from the values and beliefs of adults and other children. His theory was, therefore, more about social interactions than the environment. He believed that children develop language through speaking and listening and this aids their development. Vygotsky developed the Zone of Proximal Development. This is the distance between the most difficult thing a child can do on their own and the most difficult thing they can do with help. It is the teacher’s job to scaffold the learning of the child and help close this gap. At Forest School, the children are allowed to take a risk and try things themselves. The teachers will help to show children new skills and provide assistance when children need it. Observation is extremely important here as teachers need to observe children to find out where they are in their learning and what their needs are to progress.

How these theories have been used in my Forest School programme

  • Staff are constantly observing the children and figuring out where they are in their learning. Using this knowledge we can introduce activities and experiences which help the children to further their holistic development.
  • The Zone of Proximal Development is constantly in use during our sessions. We observe what a child can do without help, allowing them to take managed risks to push themselves. We then scaffold their learning to help them achieve more. An example of this is when a child is trying to walk along a fallen log. The staff members will supervise the activity and be ready to help if needed but will not hinder the child’s learning by automatically taking their hand.

Summary

By combining Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s theories (as well as many others!) we can help children to develop holistically, through social interaction and enabling environments. At Forest School, the environment is a large part of the experience but social interactions are just as important, particularly between children.

References

Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky – Carol Garhart Mooney

Posted in Unit 2

PSFSP 1.1 Seasonal clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) for working in a range of situations at a Forest School

Posted on by beckles23

During a Forest School session, it is important that children’s basic needs are met so that they can enjoy the experience fully. In order for our parents to understand the clothing needed, I have created a basic guide to what the children need to wear in different weathers. Please see this attached below.

Forest School recommended clothing list

During our sessions, we will be using other items of protective clothing such as:

  • Hi-vis jackets – our children wear these on any outing from nursery and they have the nursery name and phone number on the back. The Forest School leader also wears a hi-vis to ensure they are easily visible at all times.
  • Gloves for tool use – these are used depending on the tool. In most cases, a glove can be worn on the helper hand. Gloves are not worn when using loppers as they can cause the tool to slip.
  • Gardening gloves – these are perfect when investigating different plants as they stop stings from nettles. The children are advised to wear long sleeves in all weather to prevent scratches, grazes, and stings.
  • Fireproof gloves – these are worn by the Forest School leader when making fires. All hair should be tied back when using fire.
  • Helmets – these are to be used when children are climbing or during activities which may include falling branches such as cutting high branches down.
Posted in Unit 4

PFSP 4.2. Develop a communication strategy to exchange information with those assisting a Forest School programme and other interested parties

Posted on by beckles23

Good communication is the key to a successful Forest School! Below are the strategies I will be using to communicate with other members of staff, parents and other interested parties.

Landowners

We use a woodland owned by The National Trust for our Forest School sessions but we don’t usually see any National Trust staff on our visits. We need communicate with The National Trust particularly during periods of bad weather, to see if the site is safe to use. We also need to be able to report any problems that we find on site. I am in contact with staff from the National Trust through email and phone.

Other Staff Members

When we visit the woods I am assisted by up to 5 other staff members. It is important to communicate with these staff members to share the plan for the session as well as any health and safety issues. It would be beneficial for these staff to have a basic understanding of the ethos of Forest School to ensure that our sessions are consistent. I will therefore be creating a handout for other staff members at the nursery to read so that they understand our sessions. When we are out in the woods it is important to still be in contact with management back at nursery and we can use our mobile phone for this purpose.

Parents

We mainly communicate with parents through our nursery app or in person. I am also creating a Forest School display board in nursery to tell parents about the benefits of our sessions. At the end of each session we do a post on our app with photos and information about what we’ve been up to. During our sessions we have the emergency contact details of each child and parents also have our nursery mobile number so they can contact us.

Other Forest School Practitioners

To keep up my professional development I am a member of a number of Forest School online community groups where we can share best practice. I am also often in contact with my colleagues from my initial Forest School Level 3 training course.

Posted in Unit 4

LDFSP 2.6/PFSP 3.2 Explain the process of managing risk and how it applies to Forest School

Posted on by beckles23

Many people think of Forest School as a risky and sometimes even dangerous activity. It is true that one of the key parts of the Forest School way of teaching is to encourage children to take risks. There are many activities which we take part in that have elements of risk including tool use and fire. The environment can also have an effect on how risky an activity is due to the constantly changing weather and the conditions of the site. We continue our sessions in all weathers apart from particularly dangerous ones such as thunderstorms and high winds. However, Forest School leaders are well aware of any risks and have procedures, policies and risk assessments in place to manage risks and ensure the safety of participants.

Taking risks is how children learn to understand and manage danger later in life. The document “Managing Risk in Play Provision” talks about the benefits of allowing risky play. It states that “children would never learn to walk, climb stairs or ride a bike unless they were strongly motivated to respond to challenges involving risk of injury.” If we do not allow them to practice their risk-taking skills, they often take it upon themselves to play in uncontrolled environments where the risk is greater and they may be in danger.

In our Forest School sessions, we provide the children with the chance to create uncertainty and unpredictability in their play as well as coming across and overcoming potential hazards. Through these experiences, the children develop resilience as well as enjoying a sense of achievement and responsibility. Of course, as Forest School leaders, we must assess each hazard or risk and weigh it up against the benefit which the children may get from it. This is where the risk-benefit analysis form comes in. Once a risk or hazard has been identified, a risk assessment will be completed which will assess how dangerous the risk is and what actions can be taken to control or limit the risk. Risk management in Forest School, as anywhere else, is continuous and all near misses, accidents, and incidents help to inform future practice. Below is a list of the key vocabulary used in our risk assessments and policies.

Hazard

A hazard is anything that has the potential to be dangerous and cause harm.

Risk

Risk is the likelihood of the hazard causing harm to somebody.

High Risk

An action or activity which is very likely to cause harm.

Low Risk

An action or activity which is not very likely to cause harm.

Accident

An unplanned, uncontrolled event that leads to harm.

Near Miss

When an accident is just avoided. These are just as important to record as they can inform future practice.

Incident

An event that occurs when the rules or policies are not adhered to.

Safety

The state of being safe from harm through the use of risk assessments and policies.

 

References

Managing risk in play provision – play safety forum (http://www.playengland.org.uk/media/172644/managing-risk-in-play-provision.pdf)

A playworkers guide to risk – play wales (https://issuu.com/playwales/docs/a_playworkers_guide_to_risk)

Posted in Unit 1

FSPWE 2.1 The flora and fauna of Formby Pinewoods – Trees and Plants

Posted on by beckles23

The majority of the trees in the Formby Pinewoods are coniferous trees such as Corsican Pine and Scots Pine. However, there are also other trees present such as Beech, Sycamore and Oak. To help our children identify which trees were in our area, I created a pictorial guide with photos of the trees, leaves, and seeds. The guide also contains some flowers which are known to be found in the woods in the spring and summertime. The guide can be seen in the link below.

trees in formby pinewoods

The document below describes five of the most common trees found in the pine woods and some of their uses.

tree uses

Posted in Unit 1

FSPWE 2.1 The flora and fauna of Formby Pinewoods – Mammals

Posted on by beckles23

As the Formby woods are a coniferous woodland, the diversity of mammals is quite low. When we visit the woods we see very few animals, the exceptions being Red Squirrels and Rabbits! According to the Sefton Coast Working Plan (2013-2032) there are also a few species of bat common in the woods. The animals we have seen and some other which are known to be present can be seen below:

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

These squirrels are what makes the pinewoods so famous. Formby is one of the few places in the country where Red Squirrels can be found and much of the management of the woods is to maintain the population of them. Their diet consists mostly of pine cones and in the autumn they will bury seeds and nuts to help them to survive over the winter.

Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Rabbits are commonly found in all types of woodland and can be seen all year round. Signs of rabbits can often be seen when we visit the woods as we see their burrowing holes. They like to graze on open patches of grass in and around the woods.

Stoat (Mustela erminea)

Stoats are common in this country and, as their main prey is rabbits, there is plenty of food for them in the pinewoods. They can sometimes be mistaken for weasels but are usually larger ad have a black tip to their tail. Some stoats change their colourings in the winter and become partly or wholly white to blend in with snow and ice.

Pipistrelle Bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)

These small bats actually prefer to live in buildings and mostly hibernate there. However, they choose buildings near to woodlands so that they can use the trees for cover when they come out to hunt. The insects that they eat usually live around water and there are many ponds and streams in the Formby Pinewoods. Pipistrelles hibernate all winter and start to come out around March when the weather is getting water. As all bat species, they can only usually be seen at night.

Brown Long-Eared Bat (Plecotus auritus)

This bat is named after its huge ears which it uses to locate prey such as moths, earwigs, flies, and beetles. They hibernate from November and usually start appearing around April time. They like to live in trees or old buildings, tunnels or caves.

Noctule Bat (Nyctalus noctula)

These are the biggest bats in the country and are often mistaken for birds. They like to nest in tree holes such as those made by woodpeckers or rot. They mostly insects like moths, flying ants, midges and beetles. Noctule bats hibernate through the winter and begin to emerge around April.

 

References:

https://www.lancswt.org.uk/wildlife-explorer/mammals/

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/mammals/

Sefton Coast Working Plan (2013-2032) – https://forestplan10yearreview.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/sefton_coast_working_plan_overview_combined1.pdf

 

Posted in Unit 1

FSPWE 2.1 The flora and fauna of Formby Pinewoods – birds

Posted on by beckles23

During our visits to the pine woods, we have spotted two birds, the crow, and the robin. The children were very excited to see the crow walking around next to our area. There are also a number of birds named by the National Trust which can be seen in our pine woods, as can be seen below.

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)

The Carrion Crow is a very common British bird that is seen all year round and can be quite brave which explains why one approached our Forest School session! They are usually found on their own or in pairs. They like to eat carrion, insects, worms, seeds, fruit, eggs, and man-made scraps.

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

The robin is another common bird and easily spotted due to its red breast. They like to eat worms, seeds, fruits, and invertebrates. Robins are found in woodland, hedgerows, parks, and gardens and can be seen all year round, despite their popularity at Christmas. Our children first noticed robins on our site in the spring.

Tree Creepers (Certhia familiaris)

The treecreeper is a very small bird that lives in trees in the UK. They like to eat mostly insects and spiders but will eat seeds in the winter when food is scarce. They can be identified by their speckly brown feathers on the top and white feathers below. They can be seen all year round, mostly on the trunks of trees.

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

The nuthatch looks like a small woodpecker as it is blue/grey above and white and chestnut underneath. It also has a black stripe on its head. They like to eat insects, hazelnuts, acorns, and other nuts and seeds. They can be seen all year round in mature woodlands.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

The great spotted woodpecker can be identified through its distinctive colourings and markings. It spends a lot of time on tree trunks and branches and often hides from people. Often the best way to find them is by listening to their “drumming” sound in the spring. They like to eat insects, nuts, and seeds and will often come to peanut feeders. The RSPB state that these birds are more commonly seen in broadleaved woodlands bt that mature conifers can also support them. They can be found all year round.

The following birds are also sometimes seen:

Redpoll (Carduelis flammea)

The redpoll is not as common as the birds named above. It does not breed in the UK but will visit in the winter. It can be identified through it’s streaky brown above and white below with black streaks. It also has two white lines on its folded wing. It likes to eat seeds from birch, alder and spruce as well as insects. The birds arrive in the East of the UK in the winter then may move West to find food so can be found from January to April.

Siskin (Carduelis spinus)

The siskin is a type of finch with a forked tail and a streaky yellow-green body. It likes to eat seeds from conifers, alders, and birch as well as insects. Siskins can be seen in the tops of trees in the breeding season and are seen across the UK in the winter.

Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)

The Crossbill is another type of finch which is bigger than the Siskin. Its name comes from its beak which is crossed over at the tips to help it take seeds from pinecones. The males are brick red as in the photo above but the females are a greenish-brown colour. The Crossbill can be seen all year round.

References

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/formby/features/wildlife-at-formby

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/

 

Posted in Unit 1

FSPWE 2.1 The flora and fauna of Formby Pinewoods – Butterflies and Moths

Posted on by beckles23

The Formby pinewoods and sand dunes are home to a number of butterflies and moths, as can be seen on The National Trust website. We have not been lucky enough to see many due to our visits to the woods taking place mostly in the autumn and winter so far! However, with spring just around the corner, I have created an identification guide to help both the teachers and children to identify any butterflies or moths that we come across. A list of the common butterflies and moths can be seen below:

 

Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae

This is the Small Tortoiseshell and is commonly seen all year round. The caterpillars can be seen feeding on nettles which are very widespread in our woodlands.

Peacock Inachis io

The peacock butterfly is commonly seen all year round and is easy to spot because of it’s eyespots. The caterpillars feed on nettles.

 

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Another common butterfly whose caterpillars feed on nettles. However, the Red Admiral is only usually seen between July and November.

 

Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni

The Brimstone is common but can be more difficult to spot due to its impressive camouflage. It can be seen most of the year and it’s caterpillars feed on Buckthorn and Alder Buckthorn leaves.

 

Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines

The orange-tip is commonly found in the UK and can be identified by it’s orange tipped wings (male) or black tipped (female). The caterpillars can survive on a number of different crucifers and are therefore often found on farmland. The butterflies can be seen from April to September.

 

Comma Polygonia c-album

The comma is another common butterfly whose caterpillars like to feed on nettles. They also like hop, elms, currants and willows. The butterfly can be seen for most of the year and is easily identified by its scalloped wing edges.

 

Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus 

The Holly Blue’s bright colour makes it easy to spot and it is common in the UK. The females have black edges to their wings. Caterpillars like to feed on holly which is common in our woodlands. This butterfly can be seen in spring and late summer.

 

Emperor Moth Sturnia pavonia

This moth is very common and can be seen from late March to May. Its caterpillars like to feed on Heathers, Meadowsweet, Alder Blackthorn, Bramble, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, sallows, and birches. The males can be identified as they have feathered antennae.

 

References

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/formby/features/formby-butterflies-and-moths

https://butterfly-conservation.org/

Posted in Unit 1

FSPWE 1.1 Explain the horizontal ecological structures of British woodland

Posted on by beckles23

In my previous post, I talked about the vertical ecological structures of British woodlands. Unlike the vertical structures, horizontal structures are not as easily split into sections. As the name suggests, the horizontal structure of woodland is how the trees are laid out horizontally and the amount of spacing between each one. This is extremely important for biodiversity as different species of animals and plants have different requirements from their habitats. Plants all need different amounts of light and so some will flourish in clear spaces whereas some will be happier under the shelter of a tree. Animals also depend on different levels of shelter and eat plants with differing requirements. The horizontal structure of a woodland, therefore, is a determining factor in the distribution of both plants and animals.

The horizontal structure of woodland can be affected by a number of different factors, both natural and man-made. Natural influences on the spacing of trees include changes in weather, pests, tree diseases, and more permanent factors such as waterways, rocks, and soils. A good example of this can be seen in the woods that I work in which are located behind some sand dunes on the Formby coast. The high winds coming from the open sea have a huge impact on the layout of the trees, as does the sandy soil.

Man-made influences are much more common in managed woodlands. In such places, the horizontal structure is closely managed to encourage biodiversity. In the picture below you can see that plantation woodlands are usually evenly spaced but often contain openings to encourage the biodiversity of plants and animals.

Wild woodlands contain a lot of overlapping trees and can be packed very closely together. Often management will occur in these woods too to create openings by coppicing or clear felling.

Posted in Unit 1

FSPWE 4.2 How to involve learners in sustainable woodland management

Posted on by beckles23

In a previous post, I talked about the woodland management plan for the Formby Pinewoods. This aims to sustainably manage the woodlands and has a number of aims including:

  • creating a healthy age profile of the trees

  • maintaining a focus on pine species to provide food for red squirrels and to maintain the woodland character

  • maintaining indigenous mixed broadleaf up to and no more than 10% of the woods

  • maintaining dead wood where this is possible

  • working towards a mosaic of woodland structures

  • providing habitats for certain priority species

  • ensuring an economic return where possible

This management plan is being carried out by the various landowners to ensure that the pinewoods remain a diverse and healthy woodland. However, it is also important to involve our Forest School learners in woodland management by giving them a sense of responsibility and ownership of the site which we use for our sessions. This ensures that we have a healthy relationship with the woodland and ensures that we can use it for years to come.

Collecting pine cones to investigate back at Nursery

The group of children who I take to the woods are currently aged between 2 and 3 years old. They already have empathy for nature and for animals in particular. I am working on instilling a sense of respect for the woods and the species that live there by helping the children to understand the effect we can have while we are there. The children often look for the red squirrels on our trips to the woods and we can, therefore, talk about how we are changing their home with our activities. The children know that we must pick up any litter we create through our activities, including playdough and string. We often collect pine cones to take back to the nursery and have talked about how they are the squirrel’s main source of food. Many of the children will now put the pine cones back down after observing them “for the squirrels to eat.” These steps are a great start to teaching the children how to manage the woods and we are now starting to look at identifying which species of plants, fungi, and animals we can see while we are there.

A child looks at an ID guide while relaxing in a hammock.

As the children get older they will be able to use these skills to take part in national surveys such as bird counts and butterfly counts. Older children could also look after the environment by litter picking (using specialist equipment and supervision) or using tools to help cut back overgrowth which is taking over the pathways.

Links

FSPWE 4.1 The sustainability of current and historic woodland management techniques in Formby Pinewoods