telephone – 01902 842998   |   email – StNicholas-office@cmat.academy

Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the light of the world.   Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”   John 8:12

Forest School – Mudlarks

 At St Nicholas we believe that children need to experience the beauty and wonder of God’s Creation.  Our outdoor learning  provision (known by the children as Mudlarks) supports children from Nursery to Year 4 to do this, whilst also developing life skills which will equip them as they move on from us and take on new challenges.

What exactly is a Forest School?

A Forest School is a long-term outdoor education process that is holistic and learner-led. It allows children to develop themselves through healthy engagement with risk, problem-solving and self-discovery, all within a natural environment in a hands-on and thoughtful manner. All forms of outdoor education are valuable, but Forest Schools have their own philosophies and ethos that benefit children in unique ways.

Forest Schools are delivered through several regular sessions over an extended period of time – ideally weekly to incorporate different seasons.

Please click here to find out what research has found about the benefits of Forest School education.    Click here to an example of what Forest School looks like in action from Teachers TV.

Our outdoor learning practitioner and Mudlarks lead is Mrs S Lowe.   She is always keen to develop our grounds further and to get parents involved in this provision (subject to DBS check and volunteer recruitment monitoring).   She is currently undertaking her Forest School Accreditation.     To find out more about Mudlarks or maybe get involved, email Mrs S Lowe on shelley.lowe@st-nicholas.staffs.sch.uk.

To find out what your child needs to wear at Forest School please see here.

 

 

 

Mudlarks Meeting  (27.03.22)

 

Another fantastic week of outdoor learning with the children from Nursery and Key Stage 2! Nursery had a wonderful morning outside, searching for insects, making tree guardians and playing in the leaves; such a lovely way to start the week! We had budding scientists and Willy Wonka inventors, creating all kinds of frothy concoctions in the mud kitchen alongside a revisit to the ‘tyre race’. We wanted to see how the children have developed in their resilience and teamwork skills and were really impressed with the improvement!
Well done everyone!
Click here to watch the next Mudlarks Update!