Ashdown Forest School programs are designed to allow young children to immerse themselves in nature for extended periods of time, without a structured curriculum. Our goal is to stimulate children’s innate curiosity, foster compassion and empathy for the earth and all living beings, and provide opportunity for interest-led learning to flow organically each day. Teachers’ roles are as guides; actively modeling engagement in nature by using inquiry-based teaching strategies, making observations, and documenting learning to demonstrate the benefits of nature immersion and individual growth of each child. We are inspired by holistic educational models like the Reggio Emilia Approach and the Forest Kindergarten teaching model as they focus on the whole-child.
Ashdown Forest School
Outdoor play and learning