Wild Explorers Ethos
Our focus is to provide the physical and emotional space for children to develop their skills, interests and understanding through a range of activities which offer hands-on experiences in a natural environment.
Everything we do is designed to prepare children for the next stage of their educational journey; be that pre-school, reception or home schooling. Our goal is for each child that leaves us to be more independent, resilient and innately curious, with a deeply ingrained love for nature and the world around them.
Our forest school ethos concentrates on children leading their own learning and following their own interests; developing their own curriculum, which in turn develops independence and resilience.
Our nursery practitioners take a step back and observe the picture as a whole, rather than being constrained by a structured curriculum and assessment targets.
The 3 III’s of Learning and how they apply:
Intent – The learning intentions for that child
Implementation – The strategies we are going to use to support that learning
Impact – The impact we obtain towards that child’s learning
It is important to remember that the 3 I’s apply as much to the curriculum as they do to individual activities. For example, when applying the 3I’s to a play provocation. The implementation is to provide that resource, but it may also be to step back to allow that child to independently lead their learning and not interrupt the process. As a facilitator we are still there to observe from a distance to ensure safety, and the child knows we are available should they need us. Finally, the impact is whatever learning that child has got from that experience
They may have developed a new skill. Other children may have joined in, allowing that child to develop social skills separate to an adult. Or the facilitator may have spotted an opportunity to further that activity with that child to support next steps.
Play Provocation – An open-ended activity where the educator has no specific intent or outcome for the child playing with and exploring it. It is a prompt that you will see where it goes. It is a question: “I wonder what they will do with this?” instead of a direction. A provocation lets you test your ideas and theories. If, for example, you think the children are interested in making patterns you may set up a provocation with muffin tins and conkers and watch to see what the child does. Spinking powder paints onto a canvas to see what happens. No direct instruction.
Invitation to an Activity – An invitation to do something specific. Have I set out hammers and petals? I am inviting you to do Hapa Zome. Have I set out a prompt that I want you to follow? Then that is an invitation. When I have a specific activity I want you to try, then I am inviting you to try my activity.
Process V Product – Less focus on what we’re making and concentrate on what we’re doing. Play is a process that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. That is, that children and young people determine and control the content and intent of their play, by following their own instincts, ideas and interests, in their own way for their own reasons. For practitioners, the play process takes precedence and playworkers act as advocates for play when engaging with adult led agendas.
- A creative journey or process, rather than as a deliverable or end product
- There are no samples for the child to follow
- No step-by-step instructions
- No right or wrong way to complete
- The artwork is unique to the child, following their own learning style and ideas
- Experience based on choice
- Focus on the experience and not the end result
- Calm, unhurried and unrushed
Child led doesn’t mean “let them do whatever they want” it means…
- Notice what they notice
- Set safe boundaries
- Acknowledge their needs
- Respect their opinions
- Empower them
- Share their joy