Why is Forest School Important?
Poles APart believe learning outside is crucial to regulate and re-set students. Outdoor Education lessons and Forest School are an integral part of what students experience and access when with us.
Located just a stone’s throw away from the coastline in Britain’s ocean city, Poles APart AP is where the land meets the sea. We are able to offer young people a unique and diverse experience incorporating both land and sea elements. We aim to give all young, practitioners and volunteers a shared understanding of the ethos of Forest School, enabling all children to engage in valuable learning experiences in the natural environment. We give all students the chance to explore and experience the natural world through practical activities using the outdoors to promote confidence, independence, risk-taking and self-esteem. We aim to promote positive relationships through cooperation with others, we want our children to be independent, self-motivated, courageous, considerate and respectful,giving them a foundation on which they can grow.
What attributes do we focus on in Forest School sessions?
One of the principles of Forest School is to promote environmental awareness and encourage sustainability. The pupils are taught about respect and responsibility for the world around them and good practice should be modelled by adults. Both adults and children are encouraged to respect their environment and to be aware of conservation issues surrounding them. We aim to promote respect for wildlife. All activities will be empathetic to our surroundings and whenever appropriate, reclaimed recycled and sustainable resources will be used to manage our outdoor space.
What attributes do we focus on within outdoor education sessions?
We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. All staff are trained in Child Protection, and children are made aware of the adults they can talk to if they have any concerns. Staff are trained to look out for signs of physical/emotional harm or neglect and are required to report these to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
Poles APart AP has policies and procedures in place to deal effectively with child protection and safeguarding issues, which include tackling radicalisation and extremism, together with recording and monitoring processes.
To promote a safe environment for pupils, we employ a strict selection and recruitment policy which includes all statutory checks on staff and regular volunteers including Enhanced DBS (disclosure and barring service) checks.