Thrapston Primary School launches Forest School to support children’s wellbeing and development

Thrapston Primary School, a member of Brooke Weston Trust, has introduced a Forest School programme, giving pupils the opportunity to learn and develop through regular outdoor activities on the school site.

Delivered as a nurture group for a small number of Year 1 pupils, the sessions provided a calm and supportive space where children could build confidence, enhance their wellbeing and develop key social skills, including teamwork, collaboration and communication. The programme comes at a time when schools are increasingly focused on supporting children’s emotional wellbeing and providing meaningful access to outdoor learning.

Activities were carefully planned to support physical development, including fine and gross motor skills, balance and coordination, while also instilling a sense of belonging for children who may find this more challenging within a larger classroom setting.

Over the past year, the Forest School area has been transformed from an unused section of the school field into an inviting and well-resourced outdoor learning space. Funding has enabled the installation of a storage shed, which also provides shelter, an outdoor painting easel, a dedicated digging area, a fire pit and tripod, and a wide range of resources, including mud kitchen accessories, gardening tools and child-sized equipment. Many key features have also been handmade and donated, including the mud kitchen, benches, balance beams, water butts, seating and fire circle logs.

The initiative has benefited greatly from the generosity of the local community. Donations have included pallets, cable reels used as tables, blankets for den building, pots and pans, gardening equipment, natural loose parts such as conkers and pine cones, compost donated by Thrapston Farm and Garden, and even a piano, which has become a much-loved feature of the site. Reception pupils have also kindly loaned a Little Tikes log cabin playhouse, providing additional shelter and play opportunities.

The Forest School sessions have been led by Rhianna O’Reilly, the school’s Year 5 teacher and Social Media Lead, who is currently training towards a recognised Forest School qualification, fully funded by the school. This qualification ensures the provision meets established Forest School principles and enables the delivery of high-quality, child-led outdoor learning.

The school is now fundraising to install fencing around the Forest School area to further enhance safety and accessibility. While some funding has been pledged by a local company, additional financial support is needed to complete this next stage of development.

Rhianna said:

“I am incredibly proud to see the Forest School now up and running. Leading the sessions over the past six weeks has been an absolute pleasure, and it has been wonderful to watch my vision come to life. This project has been over 12 months in the making and would not have been possible without the generous support of our school community and local businesses.”

Pauline Turner, Principal at Thrapston Primary School, added:

“What began as a blank corner of the field has grown into an inviting outdoor space where children can play freely, explore, connect with nature and develop new skills. We look forward to continuing to grow and develop the site and to offering Forest School opportunities to even more pupils.”

Looking ahead, there are long-term aspirations to open the Forest School to the wider community, including parent-and-child sessions for under-fives, subject to future resources and capacity.

For further information on Thrapston Primary School, please visit: https://www.thrapston-primary.northants.sch.uk/