School and Group Sessions
Our Forest School at Saplings in the Wood is ready to welcome your group to our site, whether it be a school class, an SEN group or a youth group. Set within 2 acres of woodland, our Forest School aims to provide young people from as young as 2 with the opportunity to play, take risks, go on adventures, build on their confidence, develop their relationships and let their wonder and imagination soar, all within the magical great outdoors.
About us
We are a husband/wife team, both fully qualified teachers with Forest School experience. Tom is an engineer, then retrained as a secondary school teacher in 2012 and became a level 3 qualified Forest School leader in 2020. Kat has been teaching primary since 2008 and assisting in Forest School for the last few years with Level 1 qualification. After 8 years teaching at an international school in Singapore, we have returned to the UK, choosing Devon as the ideal location to set up Saplings in the Wood following the Forest School Association vision. We are both enhanced DBS certified.
Forest School Ethos
'Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.'
Forest School Association
What we can offer
We will work closely with you to deliver a programme that achieves your goals, whether they be curriculum focussed or otherwise. Whilst we offer one-off sessions, we would suggest a programme of sessions to build upon previous experiences and to enhance your students' personal development. Our setting encourages exploration and freedom, with exciting hidden alcoves and wild areas perfect for developing agency and child-initiated discovery, but the setting also allows for more structured activities if you feel this would be more appropriate.
Possible Areas for Focus
Den building, Shelters, Habitats, Historical housing
Minibeasts, Animal classifications, Nocturnal animals
Story foci and role play - Bear Hunt, Gruffalo, Owl Babies, etc.
Practical skills and bush craft- tools and fire
Mindfulness and Wellbeing
Lifecycles, plants
Sustainability and environmental awareness,
Natural resources, materials and their properties
Whilst there are many curriculum objectives that can be met through Forest School, the biggest successes come from the personal development of the students. This is an opportunity for you to step back and allow that character to shine or that confidence to grow; that risk-averse child to relish stepping out of their comfort zone; that child who struggles with impulse control to be allowed the freedom to be themself; that child with heavy burdens to run free; those children that struggle to work as a team to suddenly find themselves looking to others for support.
'The process helps and facilitates more than knowledge-gathering, it helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to try stuff out and take risks. Forest School inspires a deep and meaningful connection to the world and an understanding of how a learner fits within it. Our approach to risk means that learners constantly expand on their abilities by solving real-world issues, building self-belief and resilience. We believe that risk is more than just potential for physical harm, but a more holistic thing, there are risks in everything we do, and we grow by overcoming them. Forest School therefore, helps participants to become, healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners.'
Forest School Association
Prices (Introductory rates for 23/24 bookings)
1/2 day session - 9.30am -12.30pm or 12pm-3pm (flexible)
3 hours use of our Forest School site for up to 30 children plus adults, with 2 members of Saplings staff.
A meeting/discussion prior to the session to establish goals and focus, and an optional debriefing after each session (especially useful if planning future sessions)
A range of provocations and activities set up as well as den building, mud kitchen etc.
Hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows round the firepit if requested
Parking onsite for up to 3 minibuses
£170 £135 per session or £160 £125 if booked as part of a programme of three of more sessions.
The above can be booked for smaller groups up to 15 children plus adults, with 1 member of Saplings staff, which might be more suited to SEN groups, nursery groups or smaller classes: £100 £85 per session or £90 £75 if booked as part of a programme of three of more sessions.
What to wear and bring
"There's no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes" - Billy Connolly
Come rain or shine, our sessions will run. We will only cancel if it becomes too dangerous to go ahead (high winds, lightning etc).
All children will be required to wear full length arms and trousers, and enclosed shoes. Depending on the weather, full body waterproofs and wellies are advised, especially as we have a stream that the children love splashing in! Suncream and hats are required on sunny days.
Water bottles and snacks which the children can have as and when - we don't tend to stop for snack unless you request it.
