Ballasalla School pupils from Willow Class attended their final Forest School Lesson yesterday, the last of a series of 8. They celebrated by cooking onion bread on sticks over a fire and making bows and arrows!

This programme – delivered by the Children’s Centre – is designed to introduce a class of junior children to the principles of Forest School. The program allows for the introduction of safe tool and fire use and newly learned skills can applied to the children’s own play, exploration and self-initiated learning. They have learnt how to build dens and forest furniture, light fires and even a bit of camp cooking. The children have all learnt so much during their time in the forest.

Willow Class teacher Elizabeth Bankes-Jones said: “The children have thoroughly enjoyed working collaboratively and experiencing bush craft techniques which they have been able to put to good use in building dens, tools and exciting structures.”

Pupil Natalie, 10, said: “It has been amazing! A once in a lifetime opportunity”. Eden, 10, said “ It was great to be shown how to use the tools properly. I hope we can do it again next year.”

Photo - Pupils from Ballasalla School cooking bread over the open fire.