Forest School 

At Juniper Hill School we have our own dedicated Forest School site located within the school grounds. It is a ‘wild area’ next to the school Field. This area is known as ‘The Orchard’. The area has many trees, shrubs, a pond and some open land. All children from EYFS to Year 6 will take part in Forest School every year. The children in our Nest (SEMH) enjoy Forest School sessions throughout the year. 

Our vision for Forest School at Juniper Hill is for every child to have the opportunity to develop an inquisitive and positive relationship with the natural world. Through taking part in Forest School activities, we want them to develop an increase in confidence, self-esteem and respect and thus prepare them for an ever-changing world. We wish to give every child an opportunity to achieve their holistic potential. 

All Forest School sessions are delivered by qualified Forest School leaders. The children are taught specific skills as well as being given the opportunity to lead their own learning and delve into activities of their own choosing with the guidance and support of the Forest School leaders.   

Children will have opportunities to: 

· Build dens 

· Climb trees 

· Create woodland crafts and wild art 

· Identify plants and animals  

· Use tools such as loppers, bow saws and penknives 

· Learn to tie specific knots and lashings 

· Build and cook on fires 

· Learn about conservation and sustainability 

· Develop lifelong skills in risk management, teamwork and communications 

· And much more ……... 

Progression of Skills and Knowledge

We have developed our own bespoke Juniper Hill School Forest School curriculum which includes the
progression of knowledge and skills document. This is an internal document and isn't made available on our website. 

 

Butterfly Curriculum 

At Juniper Hill we have a unique Butterfly Curriculum. It was developed with the Chiltern Rangers as part of the flora and fauna aspect of our Forest School Curriculum. Butterflies are beautiful and fascinating and through them we want our children to develop a love of the natural world and in particular our local environment.

Each Year Group will learn about two butterflies: a common butterfly and a rare butterfly. Children will learn about their particular life cycles, how to identify them both as a caterpillar and as a butterfly, their habitat and their food source. The food source for the caterpillar is essential for the survival of a species of butterfly.

At Juniper we are actively encouraging butterflies to use our school by protecting, planting and growing food sources for both our common and rare butterflies both in the school grounds and in the local community in conjunction with the Chiltern Rangers. Each year group has been assigned a planter or an area of the school where they are growing the food source for their rare butterfly.