Forest School

Reigate St Mary’s is set in 15 acres of grounds with plenty of room for the children to run around, build dens, roll down hills and have adventures. All year round, good use is made of the playgrounds, Forest School, Eden area (for quiet time), outdoor classroom, vegetable patches and pond.

Outdoor learning is an integral part of life here for all of our year groups. Lower School children spend as much time as possible in the fresh air, with regular Forest School sessions and outdoor learning opportunities to enhance their classroom learning. Reception have their own outdoor classroom with climbing equipment and a mud kitchen. They love using this space for painting, constructing and exploring.

The children have timetabled Forest School sessions in a special Forest School area in a secluded part of the school grounds. Forest School fosters independence, resilience, confidence, problem solving and creativity and the children’s progress and development is closely monitored by our highly trained practitioner, Miss Peters. Forest School hugely enhances fine and gross-motor skills; before children even begin to write they should be able to explore pushing, climbing, squeezing and developing in a range of environments and materials to build the strong foundations and stamina for writing and more formal learning. Forest School also supports our school focus on developing Characteristics of Effective Learning, enhances classroom activities and is a useful part of our Education for Social Responsibility programme.

Find out more about our Nursery or Reception classes and our admissions process.