Core subjects

We’re a tiny school and we’ve got very high staff ratios – about 1 adult to 4-6 children, compared to 1:30 in mainstream schools. This means when it comes to teaching children to read, write and do maths, we can do this in small groups, where children can work at a level and pace appropriate to them. We place great value on our children being literate and numerate, because we know this is the gateway to learning in all disciplines. We’ll support our children to have the right skills so that they’re ready for the next step in their education.

Based on our own teaching experiences, as well as all the research that indicates that formal learning works best when children are 5 or 6 years old (that’s why most countries start formal schooling at least a year later than the UK), we’ve decided not to start teaching phonics explicitly until Year 1. Going at a slower pace when children are younger doesn’t affect how they’ll do when they finish primary school. In fact, allowing them more time to be free and play supports neural connections that will make learning to read and write easier when they come to it. However, we always respond to our children’s needs; so if a 4-year-old is showing interest in reading and writing, we’ll certainly teach them to do so!

Cross-curricular projects

Science, English, history, geography, DT, art, music and computing are learnt through our cross-curricular projects. We’re working on creating our own Wildwood curricula for each subject that reflect the skills we think children will need when they go out into the world, as well as our very specific context at Wildwood Nature School.

We want these projects to be as child-initiated as possible. So, at the end of each term, we ask children to choose a theme or question that they’re interested to explore in the next term. This involves a great deal of democracy and consensus-building among the children, so is an important activity in itself!

At the start of each term, the children will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in inspirational learning experiences and trips related to the theme that the teachers have researched. They’ll then have the opportunity to focus in on one particular aspect of the theme that most interests them. They can work individually or in small groups to ideate, research, iterate, and possibly produce a final piece of work related to the topic. This could be a piece of art or music, a film, a play, a written report, a speech, a presentation, a product (e.g. bird box or tree house), or anything else.

While it can be great to culminate several weeks’ work into a beautiful piece of work, we actually value the process of learning more. So, some projects might not lend themselves to a final product or piece of work but there’ll have been so many valuable steps along the way. English and maths are woven into many of these cross-curricular projects, using high-quality fiction and non-fiction books, as well as all of the resources and materials we find in the woods. Teachers are on hand to guide, support and challenge the children as necessary as they work through their own projects. We invite our families in at the end of each term to celebrate the learning and work that the children have done.

Well-being

Our bespoke well-being curriculum (which incorporates and expands upon the traditional PSHE curriculum) will be taught during morning and closing circles every day through storytelling, drama activities, movement, role-play, yoga, dance, mindfulness, play, sharing through partner and group work, rhythm, music, singing and journaling, mostly while outdoors in nature. The curriculum covers physical health, mental health, emotions, mindfulness, the brain and nervous system, relationships, conflict resolution, community-building, economic well-being and spirituality. Many of the well-being objectives also end up being woven into our cross-curricular project work too.

Physical Education & Movement

P.E. is explicitly taught one afternoon a week following our bespoke curriculum. Children learn fundamental movement skills, specific skills (e.g. gymnastics, dance, athletics, yoga, swimming, ball skills - football, netball, cricket, rounders, dodgeball - as well as Forest School skills such as toolwork and climbing), social skills, creativity, personal best and theory. We encourage collaborative teamwork rather than competition, and the skilful use of strategy and creativity to excel within sports.

Because we know how important physical movement and embodiment is, rather than having restricted times of day when students are free to move, we have set up our school so that students always have the opportunity to be physically active. Much of the school day takes place outside where students can move, run, climb, roll, lift, swing and do whatever they need to feel good in their bodies. We know how important this is not only for their well-being but also for their ability to learn. Even when students are inside our school premises, the space has been designed to allow students to learn and move in ways that suit them - there are tables for sitting or standing at, various different seating areas, spaces to climb and hammocks to swing on.

Forest School & Outdoor Learning

We’ve dedicated about two hours each day to Forest School and free play. The two go hand in hand, because much of what Forest School is about is free exploration of the woodland environment. There are certain skills to learn - such as making fires, using tools for woodcraft, putting up shelters, and learning about plants and trees – and to ensure coverage, we follow the WILD Passport curriculum. Most of our staff are qualified Forest School leaders and practitioners, so have a wealth of experience to share with our children. But children can choose when and whether they want to learn these skills, or to focus on free play.

We aim for a lot of our learning to take place outside in the woods. We’re flexible with this – some activities or work will lend themselves better to being indoors and we’ve got a huge space to work with for this purpose. We try and integrate Forest School into our project work so that there isn’t always a clear distinction between so-called ‘academic’ learning time and Forest School. And even with the more formal teaching of English and maths, we use the ethos of our school and the Forest School principles, as well as the natural resources of the woods, to make all the children’s learning experiences conducive to a holistic education.