What a fantastic half term and a great start to the Year

It really seems that we have squeezed a lot into a few short weeks. The children have really settled well into Year 1 and all the changes it brings.

This half term Year 1 have been attending Forest school sessions weekly.

Forest School is not just an excuse for us all to have fun outdoors (although we do!!). Forest School has secure pedagogical underpinning and uses the outside environment to secure vital elements which allow children to learn and grow as individuals. These elements are positive self-esteem, increased sense of motivation, a sense of purpose and an understanding and affinity with surroundings. There is much documentary evidence to show how regular experience of Forest School can have dramatic and profound influences on child development, reaching much further than the edge of the forest, statistics show that children of all abilities make better progress when Forest School experiences are brought back into the conventional classroom. In this respect, Forest School fits perfectly with Teesside High School's drive to improve standards, develop the 'whole' child and engender in our children a love and respect for the environment in which they live. As well as providing education as it should be.  By taking part in Forest School regularly during their time at Teesside High School, we believe our children will not only reach higher academic standards, but also develop more strongly as individuals and have emotional and physical tools which will help them grow into successful, resourceful and autonomous adults. In Forest School, children learn to take risks and learn to succeed with small, achievable tasks. They learn to manage their own risk levels to achieve personal safety, under the guidance of the Leader. From an early age, the children learn to use and care for a range of tools, as well as rope techniques. The freedom of the ‘forest’ allows the children the opportunity to experience remoteness and a realistic experience in which they are able to practise their skills and further develop their understanding of a woodland environment. Unlike other forms of outdoor education which generally concentrate on team-building, challenging activities or competitiveness, the Forest School embraces an entirely different approach through the nurturing, support and development of the self-esteem of participants.