Tree House Learning & Forest School

Tree House Learning and Forest School are central to life at Educare Small School, reflecting our belief that children learn best when they feel safe, calm, connected and inspired by the natural world.

Tree House Learning is the specialist supplier of Forest School at Educare Small School, delivering woodland learning sessions in Richmond Park in close partnership with the school. This partnership ensures that outdoor learning is carefully planned, developmentally responsive and accessible to all children.

Tree House Learning

Tree House Learning provides thoughtfully structured outdoor experiences that offer calm, beauty and a strong sense of emotional security. These environments allow children to step away from pressure, regulate emotionally and rediscover curiosity, confidence and enjoyment in learning.

Learning progresses gently through the age groups. Younger children begin with sensory exploration, imaginative play and close adult support. As they grow, experiences develop into greater independence, collaboration, creative problem-solving and purposeful outdoor learning. Each stage is matched to the child’s developmental readiness, rather than simply their age.

Tree House Learning supports the whole child, nurturing confidence, focus, friendship and wellbeing while encouraging language, thinking, creativity and resilience.

Forest School Structure and Equal Access

To ensure equal access for all children, the school is organised into three groups for outdoor learning.
There are two Forest School sessions each week, delivered by Tree House Learning in Ham Woodlands, with a rotating timetable so that every child benefits from regular experiences across the term.

When a group is not attending Forest School, meaningful outdoor learning continues in carefully chosen local natural environments.

Hall Group – Canbury Gardens, Community Gardens and the River

Younger hall groups visit Canbury Gardens, the nearby community gardens, and the riverside. These sessions focus on gentle exploration, wellbeing and early environmental awareness.

Typical experiences include:

• planting and clearing the community gardens

• nature walks and seasonal observation

• collecting natural materials for art and creative play

• simple counting, measuring and mapping in real contexts

• noticing wildlife, habitats and river life

• quiet reflection, storytelling and cooperative outdoor games

These opportunities build confidence, curiosity and connection to place, forming strong foundations for Forest School learning.

Starfish Children – Richmond Park and Extended Riverside Learning

Older children attend outdoor learning sessions in Richmond Park, led by Educare teachers. At times, they also visit Canbury Gardens to extend their exploration of the riverside environment and local natural habitats. These experiences support growing independence, responsibility, resilience and ecological awareness, while maintaining strong links to curriculum learning and wellbeing.

Experiences for our Starfish pupils may include:

• habitat study, biodiversity observation and environmental discussion

• navigation, mapping and distance measurement

• team challenges, shelter design and collaborative problem-solving

• landscape sketching and scientific recording

• reflective walking, wellbeing practice and group discussion

These experiences foster independence, responsibility, resilience and ecological awareness, supporting both personal development and curriculum learning.

Forest School Progression

Through Tree House Learning’s Forest School provision in Richmond Park, we meet each child exactly where they are. Development is recognised as individual, and growth is most meaningful when children feel safe, supported and inspired by nature.

Sessions evolve as children move through the school:

• Younger children – exploration, sensory play and simple tool experiences

• Developing learners – increasing independence and practical outdoor tasks

• Older pupils – fire lighting, shelter building, tool use and team problem-solving

Forest School learning is also thoughtfully connected to the wider curriculum, enabling children to:

• use natural materials within art and design

• explore habitats and living systems in science

• apply measurement, number and construction in mathematics

Ultimately, Forest School progression is not only about gaining practical skills, but about nurturing resilience, creativity, confidence and a lifelong love of learning and nature.

Together, Tree House Learning and Forest School express Educare’s holistic vision of education - giving children the space, time and care to grow into secure, curious and confident individuals.