St Thomas' Church Of England Primary School

Friday 3rd March

Group 2, Year 3 had their first Forest School session. They enjoyed relaxing in the hammock, making mud pies and many cups of tea in the mud kitchen. They used the investigation tray to look closely at the first signs of spring and collected mini beasts. They enjoyed swinging on the rope swings. 

Friday 24th February

Year 3 group 1 had their final Forest School session today. They learnt how to make a bow and arrow and made pancakes over the camp fire. 

Friday 10th January

Year 3 had a super time finishing off their tree cookies, and toasting marshmallows for schmores! Yummy! They also enjoyed the game, the bear snores on. Super listening skills.  

Forest School

27th January 2023

Year 3 had their forest school session today.  They have been toasting marshmallows, looking for insects, relaxing in the hammock and using the bowsaw to make a tree cookie.  Excellent work year 3!

14th October 2022

Today in Forest School we have been toasting marshmallows, learning how to pond dip and looking for insects in their safe places.  We found a pond snail, whirligig, centipede, worm, snail, beetle and lots of slugs.  Good work Y1!

Friday 23rd September

Group One of Year One had their forest school session today.  The children enjoyed playing 'The Bear Snores' listening game, looking for insects, playing in the mud kitchen, swinging on the rope swing and relaxing in the hammock.  What a fabulous afternoon.

10th June 2022

Today Reception children enjoyed toasting marshmallows, playing listening games, looking for insects, playing in the mud kitchen, swinging on the hammock and on the rope swing!  What a great time we all had!  We listened tot he story of 'The Disgusting Sandwich' and sung some woodland animal songs too. 

13th May 2022

Today in Forest School the Y5 children made damper bread using flour and water.  We used wild garlic to make garlic butter!  We played 'The Bear Snore On', found Whirligigs whilst pond diping and had great fun in the mud kitchen!  Great work Y5!

18th March 2022

Well done during your final week at Forest School!  We have been learning about the three elements of creating a fire i.e. spark, fuel and oxygen.  We have been persevering to light our fires as it is not an easy task!  We toasted and ate smores!   

11th March 2022

This week in Forest School we have been learning how to pond dip, looking for change in our seasons and roasting kernels of corn to make popcorn!  Well done Y5!

24th February 2022

Wow!  Forest School Year Three Group Two!  You have been ace today!  We have found spring flowers and insects such a shield bugs and worms.  We have made smores, played a listening commando crawl game and been pond dipping! We learned about the three elements that make fire and about the effects of the change in seasons.  Remember to take home your wellingtons this weekend! 

4th February 2022

This week in Forest School we have been pond dipping.  We learned how to use a pond dipping net safely and use a branching diagram to find out what we have caught.  We spotted some crocus... some early Spring flower!  Some children have been den building, using the mud kitchen and making tree guardians!  We have all be very busy today... in wind and rain! Well done Y3!

28th January 2022

This week Group Two have been making tree guardians to help look after Forest School and exploring all the activities.  We roasted marshmallows and played a matching game too.  It was quite noisy with the roadworks but the children enjoyed it all the same.  Great work Y3!

21st January 2022

This week Y3 have been completing the RSPB bird watching activities.  They have been having a go on our new rope swing, eating campfire popcorn and drinking hot vimto!  We played a listening game all about keeping safe using the sense of hearing too.  Great work Y3!!

14th January 2022

Today we have been making bird feeders to help our British birds over winter.  We have also been making smores and den building!  We even found some eggs that we think belong to a slug or a snail!  

7th January 2022

Welcome to Y3 Forest School!  This week we have been toasting marshmallows, colour matching shades, pond dipping and making tree guardians!  

10th December 2021

Well done Year One Group Two on a fantastic final session!  We have been creating tree guardians with clay, playing hide and seek and making smores. Remember to collect your wellingtons on your way home before the Christmas break.  

3rd December 2021

This week in Forest School Year One we have been listening to the story of 'The Disgusting Sandwich'.  We have been making our own disgusting sandwiches but tasting yummy marshmallows!  Some children found lots insects such as worms and woodlice. Lots of children enjoyed taking turns on the rope swing!  Great work Group 2!

5th November 2021

Welcome to Forest School Year One Group Two!  We have been exploring our Forest School area and learning how to keep safe! We learned how to pond dip and also how to reflect on what we have liked doing best!

22nd October 2021

Well done Year One Group One!  We finished our sessions today by making s'mores, den building, finding insects and listening to the story of The Leaf Man!  Have a fantastic half term everybody and enjoy all the changes that Autumn brings!

15th October 2021

Wow!  What great fun we have had this week in Forest School!  We have been pond dipping, rope swinging, making in the mud kitchen, squirrel walking, den building and playing the adjective game!  What a super 'first session' in our real Forest School area.  Well done group one!  

8th October 2021

Today in Forest School Y1 have been toasting marshmallows and learning about fire safety.  We have also been making tree guardians out of leaf litter and natural resources. Our warm up game today was all about matching shades of green to nature! Have a look on your way home tonight or on Monday morning!

24th September 2021

Today in Forest School we played a listening game called 'The Bear Snores ON'.  Listening for danger is a key sense for survival for lots of animals.  We also began to make pewter pendants and shapes.  We used a smelting spoon to melt pewter balls and pour the liquid into a clay mould e.g. clay with a pressed shell, acorn, sycamore seed or conker.  The liquid cools to form the shape of the object we pressed into it!  Unfortunately our session was cut short as we found a wasp nest that was becoming very active.  The wasp nest is now being removed ready for next weeks session.  Have a buzzing weekend Forest Schoolers!

10th September 2021

Today the Yr 5 children have been getting busy in the mud kitchen!  They have been making pancakes, tea, mud pies and cakes.  The children have also been pond dipping where they saw pond snails, non-biting midge larvae and worms. The Y5 children roasted marshmallows and made them into smores too.  

30th April 2021

Well done Y3 Forest School Group Two!  We have been warming up our 'eyes' at the beginning of the session by looking for shades of green in nature and colour matching them to a swatch.  We have been using a woodcraft knife safely to make a spear linked to the Y3 Stone Age topic. We toasted marshmallows and turned them into delicious s'mores.  Some children enjoyed pond dipping too!  We found lots of water fleas, pond snails, pond worms and beetles. Great work Y3, you've been GREAT!

23rd April 2021

Today Forest School Group Two have been playing a listening game called 'The Bear Snores on'. In nature using your listening skills can help you survive, help you protect your food and your home.   We learned how to start a fire using the three key elements and we roasted corn kernels to make popcorn. Some children had a go at pond dipping and playing in the mud kitchen. 

26th March 2021 

Well done Year Three Group One! Today we have been on a nature adjective hunt! We have also been  using a woodcraft knife to make spears linked to our Stone Age topic last half term.  We had hot Vimto and hot chocolate to drink.  You have been great! 

19th March 2021

This week Y3 have been learning all about fire.  They have been using a flint and steal to make their own fire.  The children know that to make a fire you need a spark, fuel and oxygen.  We enjoyed making popcorn using corn kernels. 

November 2020

This week we learned all about using tools and keeping safe.  We used a saw and a bit and brace to make a tree cookie.  We toasted marshmallows to make shmores too.

13th November 2020

This week in Forest School we listened to the story of the Leaf Man. We have been making leaf pictures of animals or other objects.  We roasted kernels of corn to make popcorn too.  Some children played leaf bingo and we played a game called 'Fire Fire' too. 

6th November 2020

Welcome Forest School Group Two!  Today we have spent our second session playing listening games, sharing a text called 'Not a Stick', toasting marshmallows, swinging on the rope swing, tree climbing and den building!  We saw lots of interesting fungi too!

9th October 2020

We had sunshine, rain and hail today!  Good job we warmed up with some hot chocolate and warm vimto!  Today we have been making our tree cookies, playing our favourite listening games, looking for mini beasts, climbing trees and playing on the rope swing.  We reflected on our time in Forest School and which parts have been our favourite! Great work Y1 Gp1!

5th October 2020

 This week we have been using tools to create a tree cookie.  We know how to use a saw and a 'bit and brace' safely.  We also made smores!  Everyone has a go at making a dragons sneeze using a flint and steel too!

25th September 2020

This week we have played a listening game called 'One, Two, Three Where Are You?'!  We have have also listened to a story called 'The Disgusting Sandwich' and looked at Roald Dahls Revolting cookbook. The children could design a yukky sandwich or make something revolting in the mud kitchen. Today we cooked something yummy on the campfire.  We made popcorn!  We also talked about the three elements to make a fire i.e. fuel, air and a spark.  The children had to watch for a 'dragon's sneeze'.  Great work Forest Schoolers!!

18th September 2020

This week in Forest School we learned how to keep safe around a fire by walking around the seating area (not across it) and by kneeling with one knee steady when we toast marshmallows.  We played a listening game called Fire Fire too!  The children enjoyed pond dipping, den building, playing on the rope swing, using the mud kitchen and making tree guardians.  A tree guardian is a clay figure that will keep our Forest School safe each week.

We began our session with a fantastic story called 'Not a STICK'!  This book encourages children to role play and use objects for different purposes too. 

11th September 2020

Wow, well done Year One on your first Forest School session!  You listened carefully to our STOP and THINK moments, enjoyed exploring, climbing, swinging and creating.  We had fun playing our listening games too. 

7th February and 14th February 2020

Over the last two weeks we have been learning how to tie a knot to make a den, toasting marshmallows and heating blackcurrant juice over the fire.  We have been making bird feeders and investigating the tree tops using a mirror. 

24th January 2020

We have been pond dipping and learning how to tie a tinder hitch ready for putting up a tarp in wet weather.  The children have a rhyme about a rabbit to help them remember. We have also played the adjectives game called find me something..... green, brown, multi-coloured, bendy. rough etc. 

17th January 2020

What a fantastic five sessions we have had in Forest School with Y3 group one!  Today we have been using elder wood and tools to make elder people. The children have been painting with wood to become warriors, den building and cooking in the mud kitchen.  Today we made and ate shmores!  Great work Forest Schoolers!! 

10th January 2020

This week in Forest School we have been playing a listening game about a hungry but tired bear.  We have been using elder wood and secateurs to make bracelets and toasting marshmallows. 

13th December 2019

Today in Forest School we practised lighting a fire.  We now know that there are three essential things you need to create a fire i.e. fuel, oxygen and a spark.  the children each used a striker to light a cotton wool ball.  We have also been using a 'bit and brace', toasting a marshmallow and some of the children have been concocting delicious meals in the mud kitchen!  Fabulous final session for 2019!  

22nd November 2019

What a fantastic time we have had in Forest School!  Year One have been using a 'bit and brace' and a bow saw.  Some children made their tree cooking out or Elm wood and some made it out of Apple wood. We made smores, made a den and had a a look at our treetops from a ground level view.  How special to listen to the wind in the trees, watch the branches sway and the birds visit our treetops. 

15th November 2019

This week we have been learning all about using a bowsaw.  We know how to use it safely to make a tree cookie out of apple wood.

18th October 2019

This week we have been toasting marshmallows, pond dipping, making tree guardians and climbing trees!  Great work Forest School group two. 

The next session will be Friday 8th November 2019.

14th October 2019

This week was the final session for Forest School group one.  We had roasted marshmallows in chocolate biscuits called 'shmores'.  We used a 'bit and brace' to drill a hole into our tree cookie.  We also had a chance to revisit our favourite activities.  Great work Y1 group one!

11th October 2019

Welcome to Forest School Y1 group two.  This week we listened to a story called 'The Disgusting Sandwich' and we could make a sandwich with whatever we could find on the Forest School floor.  Lots of children played in the mud kitchen and had a go in the hammock.  We also learned the Forest School dos and don'ts. 

4th October 2019

What a super session we had in Forest School today!  The children learned how to use a bow saw and how to keep themselves safe!  The children created a slice of wood to make a tree cookie. We also enjoyed warm blackcurrant juice and we cooked kernels of corn, turning them into POPCORN! yummy!

27th September 2019

Whatever the weather, we got outside and enjoyed a full Forest School session.  We made a den with a waterproof cover, we ate birthday cake and we played a listening game called 'fire fire'.

20th September 2019

This week in Forest school we have been very busy pond dipping, making tree guardians to look after our Forest School area and toasting marsh mallows. 

13th September 2019

What a fabulous first session for the Y1 children.  We found some puffball fungi and enjoyed exploring our natural classroom.  Some children began tree climbing and using the rope swing. We also learned about our 'stop and think' moments (rules to keep us safe).

5th July 2019

What a fantastic final session in Forest School.  The children used a 'bit and brace' to make their tree cookie and we spotted a rat-tailed maggot in our pond. We also made Forest School popcorn using two sieves!

28th June 2019

Year One have been using a bow saw to create their own tree cookie.  They had a safety tool talk first.  We shared a book called 'Not a Stick' and played in the mud kitchen  Tomorrow is INTERNATIONAL MUD DAY so we have been making mud pies!  We finished the session by making shmores, yum, yum!

21st June 2019

This week in Forest School, we have been very excited to take part in our first ever St Thomas's pond dipping session in our new pond that was funded by the PTFA! We found tadpoles, froglets, Whirligigs, no biting midge larve and lots of water flies. 

We also used our new mud kitchen and toasted marshmallows!

24th May 2019

This week in Forest School we have been 'bug' hunting, mapping and toasting marshmallows.

10th May 2019

Today group two have been exploring in Forest School.  Awesome tree climbing, hammock swinging and cooking in the mud kitchen.  The children have also been making tree guardians to keep our Forest School area safe. 

3rd May 2019

Wow... what an awesome time group one have had at Forest School!  This week we have finished our 'tree cookies' using a 'bit and brace'.  We also enjoyed a shmore over the camp fire. 

26th April 2019

Today we have been busy as bees in Forest School.  Year One have begun making their tree cookie.  They have used a bow saw and know all about keeping safe.  They have also been mapping using natural materials.  To keep warm, we had hot Vimto under the canopy! 

8th April 2019

On this glorious sunny morning, year one have been exploring the forest school area using their senses.  We have been using our new hammock, playing the natural drums, listening to a story about Hoppy's Spring and eating popcorn made over the campfire. 

5th April 2019

This morning we shared the story of 'The Disgusting Sandwich' and making our own using mud, bark, leaves and sticks. We lit a fire for the first time and toasted a marshmallows. Some children have been tree climbing, chilling in a hammock and searching for mini-beasts. 

29th March 2019

Wow!  Year One, what a great start to your Forest School sessions.  Today we have been busy making tree 'guardians' with clay and natural materials.  We have been exploring the areas, learning the 'stop and think' moments, and learning how to store our wellies and waterproofs. We found lots of interesting things in Forest School today, including some fungi!  

8th March 2019

What a fantastic session in Forest School today.  The children have been making willow crowns as well as bow and arrows.  we have been den building, playing 'Stone Age' games and enjoying shmores.

1st March 2019

This week in Forest School we have been using a woodcraft knife and having campfire pancakes. We have been plaing listening games and using a bow and arrow too. 

28th January 2019

An absolutely HUGE thank you to all the children and parents who came to help us willow weave a fence and an arch.  We look forward to using them over the years and watching them grow/change! 

28th January 2019

What a fantastic final session for Year 3! The children enjoyed using craft knives to make a bow and arrow. 

18th January 2019

This week in Forest School it was freeeeezing cold, literally! Gloves and extra socks were a must! But if the children didn't have those then the big fire and blankets kept them warm!

 We have been re-using our Christmas tree to make a den, hibernate mammals and to play 'keeping warm' games. During the session we have spied for seasonal shoots and flowers, as well as learn about catkins.  What an exciting time of year it is as there are lots of early signs that new life is around the corner. 

11th January 2019

This week we have made bird feeders and already we have a resident robin! The children worked as a team to make a new zip wire game and we enjoyed hot Vimto to keep us warm. 

14th December 2018

Today in Forest School we have been playing games using our listening skills.  We have played 'The Bear Snores On' and used our predator/prey instincts.  We have also been fire-lighting using a steel and flint (striker).  We now know that you need three things to make a fire.  Ask your child what those three things are?

We also enjoyed hot blackcurrant and popcorn made over the fire!

7th December 2018

A lovely start to Forest School in Year 3!  We began our sessions by willow weaving stars and roasting marshmallows!

23rd November 2018

Today in the final Y5 Forest School session we made and drank nettle tea. We also used a craft knife to make a bow and arrow. An important part of Forest School is reflecting on our time in session.  It has been a pleasure to watch you make, play and investigate!

16th November 2018

This week in forest School we have been toasting apples in sugar to warm us up. We have been finishing our Kazoos and playing listening games using the children's ideas. 

9th November 2018

This week in Forest School we have been making Kazoos and making shmores.

2nd November 2018

This week in Forest School we have been exploring shades of colour. We have also been making garlic damper bread. 

19th October 2018

Today in Forest School we have talked about camouflage and keeping safe linked to WW2.  The children had a turn at using a steel and flint to light a fire.  

12th October 2018

Despite the windy weather we had an indoor/outdoor Forest School session.  Today we practised a 'square lashing' and made bird feeders.  We played games trying to name different bird calls and we enjoyed toasting some food.

This week Y5 have been building dens, climbing the 'lava' challenge and using woodcraft knives.  We looked at Rowan tree branches and their uses. 

Well done to Year Three group two who have been busy using a bow saw and bit and brace.  We finished our Forest School sessions with campfire popcorn and hot chocolate.  

Year Three have started their Forest School sessions with enthusiasm and a love for learning outdoors!  

Year five group 2 spent their final session using loppers and learning how to tie a 'tight tarp hitch'.  We cooked popcorn, toasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate.  We spent time looking at the sky from a bug perspective and completing our favourite activities from the last five sessions.  Thank you for being such stars!

Year 5 Group 2 Making Kazoos March 2018

22nd February 2018

Forest School group two enjoyed a sunny session exploring the activities, learning the ropes and toasting marshmallows!  

19 January 2018 - Year 5 Making a Kazoo in Forest School

12 January 2018 - Year Five had a great start to Forest School.  They particularly got 'stuck in' with the tree climbing, mini-beast hunting and eating marshmallows!

Forest school in Autumn!  We have been making natural crowns, climbing trees, cooking marshmallows and hot chocolate, learning about our flora and fauna, writing with sticks, painting with mud, making pictures and maps, playing games and learning the Forest School rules. 

Mrs Mason is a level three Forest School leader and over the year she will be taking out Y1, Y3 and Y5.  Forest School is a chance for children to learn, grow and discover in an outdoor woodland space.  St Thomas' are lcuky emnough to have an enclosed area where fauna and flora are present.  Children are encouraged to task risks, to talk, to work as a team, to persevere and to challenge themselves.