What is Twiglets?
Twiglets
This is our weekly Forest School programme.
We have Twiglet groups on a Monday 10-12pm, Wednesday 10-12pm, Friday 10-12pm and also a Friday afternoon 12.30-2.30pm (term time only).
A two hour educational adventure in the woods! We will follow the forest school ethos so the children will guide the session and decide what it is they would like to do in the session.
The children will have the opportunity to learn how to light a fire, play in hammocks, play in a mud kitchen, learn some knots and have a go at putting up a rope swing or high and low rope, make some natural crafts, sing and play games in the woods! We will also cook a selection of camp fire snacks over the term and finish off with a warm hot chocolate.
We pride ourselves in offering your children an education which incorporates the great outdoors. Whist we also offer parents a space to talk and seek support from each other and from the leaders. The forest School staff are there to chat and give any support and advice for new parents of under 5s, we will also regularly share ideas with you to support you in taking your children outdoors and embracing nature as part of their nurturing and childhoods.
We have always said this group is just as much for the parents as it is the children! We understand now, even more than ever new parents need support, our weekly group not only offers children a space to be free, wild and connected to nature, but also parents a space for mindfulness, time to talk to each other outdoors in nature, and also a team of staff who have backgrounds in Education, mental health, SEND and Forest School.
The session will go ahead in all kinds of weather so please ensure your child and adults are dressed with warm layers and waterproof outer layers. The only time we cancel due to weather is deemed unsafe due to strong winds.
Our terms are booked as a 12 week term to keep inline with the forest school principles that it is a long term programme rather than as one off sessions. We often get asked what age does my child need to be? Really there is no age minmum or maximum! A child of any age will be immersed in nature and have a variety of experiences and opportunities to explore, most of the children attending Twiglets are age 18months-8 years old.
If you would like a space in one of our Twiglet groups please just send us an email with your childs age, the day you would prefer and a contact email address.
We often have waiting lists so please do message us as early as possible.
12 week term : £168
About Us
Twiglets has been awarded as a recongised provider for Forest School by the FSA!
“As soon as we saw that the Forest School Association had a Recognised Forest School Provider scheme we knew that we wanted to ensure our Forest School offered high quality Forest School and that one day we hoped to achieve this recognition. Our children and families love their weekly Twiglets sessions in the woods and our whole team of staff are fully engaged and committed to our long term forest school programmes. We hope that this recognition we have been awarded by the Forest School Association will offer reassurance that our Twiglets sessions follow the Forest School ethos and meet all the principles of Forest School. We are very thankful for this award and appreciate that there are not many other Forest Schools around that have been awarded this so we are incredibly proud.”
Fireflies Forest School, Jessica Brocklebank.
A message from the FSA...
“Good Forest School practice is being followed by dedicated Forest School professionals all over the UK. We believe that the FSA Recognised Forest School Provider scheme will provide these schools and organisations with the means of demonstrating the quality of their work to parents and those who fund their work. It will also help promote their work as they will be found on the FSA publicly searchable map. Forest School is a distinct learning approach based on a set of 6 principles. Our scheme helps people identify those providers who are following good Forest School practice and distinguishes them from other outdoor education that is not Forest School. We therefore congratulate Fireflies Forest School on their success at becoming an approved ‘good practice’ provider.”
The scheme takes providers through an evidence based assessment process ensuring that their practice meets all the necessary requirements to operate professionally in line with the 6 good practice principles of Forest School. It also gives providers a chance to take stock of their programme(s) to see if any improvements need to be made.
For parents wondering where to send their children, or even for decision makers such as Local Authorities and Academies, it is important to know that a provider is operating professionally. Are they working in accordance with good Forest School practice? Are the sessions conducted so that the children’s self-confidence, communication skills, use of tools (among other skills), is progressing week on week? Do they have the appropriate qualifications, First Aid Certificate and risk assessment processes in place? Are the woodland sites well managed? The FSA Recognised Forest School Provider Scheme offers that reassurance!
