We would like to share our success of our Forest School and Allotment which started in Sept 2009.  These sessions are offered to all funded children over the age of three (with the exception of those under three who stay in the afternoons, who will have the opportunity to go to the Allotment).  The Forest School concept originated in Scandinavia and operates on the principle that children of all ages benefit from the learning opportunities present in a woodland environment.  It is a unique way of building independence and self esteem in children.  It improves motivation, concentration and encourages children to be active, it is often child initiated and child led. 

Our Forest School site is based at Padworth Great Farm, which we travel to on the Little Tots Minibus, the site is approximately 3 acres and is completely enclosed by fencing.  In the warmer months, we spend the whole morning at the site, approx 10am-1pm.  The children have a mid morning snack and drink on site.  We also have a picnic lunch which is great fun for the children.   

In the colder months, weather permitting we still  intend to visit the site, but for shorter periods.  We will still visit in light rain and snow for the children to experience the different weather elements.  Though we would not take the children to the site in heavy rain, fog and extreme cold.    We allow children to get muddy and to play.  We teach them to take care of the environment by respecting animals and insects and their homes, and thinking before we take something away from the wood.

Our Allotment site is based at the triangle in Burghfield Village, which we travel to on the Little Tots Minibus.  We have a 90 foot Allotment plot which had lay dormant until its first mow in February 2009.  At the beginning of March 2009 we organised a “Digging Day” and invited Mums, Dads and staff to help, the day was a huge success and everyone worked very hard to prepare the plot ready for planting.  Our main aims are to offer a chance for all our children to access a beautiful outdoor space on a regular basis, and it to enrich all areas of our curriculum.  We involve the children in sowing, transplanting, nurturing, harvesting, preparing, cooking and eating their produce so that they can begin to understand where is comes from and the processes that got it there.  We grow a wide variety of vegetables and flowers and are currently putting in fruit trees.   

Our main aims are to offer a chance for all our children to access a beautiful outdoor space on a regular basis, and it to enrich all areas of our curriculum.  We involve the children in sowing, transplanting, nurturing, harvesting, preparing, cooking and eating their produce so that they can begin to understand where is comes from and the processes that got it there.  We grow a wide variety of vegetables and flowers and are currently putting in fruit trees.   

We intend to make the Allotment self sufficient and after a successful crop, we sell our produce at the end of the Nursery Day at the door of Little Tots Burghfield, to help raise funds towards buying more seeds, bulbs and fruit trees.  This has been a great success, with parents keen to buy the vegetables and flowers that the children have grown.   

So far we have raised enough money to buy two fruit trees for our Allotment, which in years to come will provide the children with fruit, and also shade in the summer months.   

We were very pleased when all our hard work was rewarded when we came 2nd in a national completion for “Budding Gardeners” our prize was £200 worth of gardening vouchers, which we are busy planning how to spend to make more improvements to our Allotment. 

The Allotment is very popular with the children and we are very proud of their efforts.

Now we have our own Minibus, which enables us to take the children out and about to enjoy other experiences away from the classroom.   

A very popular outing with the children currently is visiting the garden centre, where they have great fun helping choose the vegetables, flowers and fruit trees to plant on the Allotment.   

We also intend taking the children to the library, museum and shops.  And after our very successful and enjoyable trip to Marwell Zoo this year, we will be planning another Zoo trip in the future.