It promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences for later life. Our Relationships and Sex Education enables our children to learn how to be safe, and to understand and develop healthy relationships, both now and in their future lives.

Physical Education - the Government’s PE funding  

Schools in England and Wales receive money from the government to help support and improve physical education (PE) and sport in primary schools. This money was allocated as extra funding directly to primary headteachers. Since September 2013, Ofsted expect schools to report on PE and sport provision and on how schools spend this additional funding by publishing information on their website.

Schools can choose how they use the funding, for example to:

• hire specialist PE teachers or qualified sports coaches to work with primary teachers during PE lessons
• support and involve the least active children by running after-school sports clubs and holiday clubs
• provide resources and training courses in PE and sport for teachers
• run sport competitions or increase pupils’ participation in the School Games
• run sports activities with other schools

Forest School

Forest School brings different learning opportunities from the classroom and standard environmental education. It does this by teaching pupils to take responsibility for own safety, within a supportive environment, and to direct their own learning at a pace and depth that suits them. It is great at helping pupils to naturally learn how to work with others in a non-threatening environment without realising they are doing it. Class topics and interests can be supported with a range of appropriate activities.

At Fordcombe we understand the benefits of giving our pupils time to learn outside the usual classroom environment, but are blessed to have the facilities within our campus, so no driving or travel to get out and learn. Forest school, we believe, affords our pupils the opportunity to explore the outside world and ensures that Fordcombe pupils have a good sense of the natural world and how to enjoy it safely.

The Six Key Guiding Principle of Forest School (as set out by the Forest Schools Association):
Forest School..

1. is a long-term process of frequent and regular sessions in a woodland or natural environment, rather than a one-off visit. Planning, adaptation, observations and reviewing are integral elements of Forest School.
2. takes place in a woodland or natural wooded environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.
3. aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
4. offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
5. is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
6. uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning.

Oak Class learning about fire safety, the fire triangle and then practicing lighting fires (harder than it looks) with flint and steel. Marshmallows were eaten after the fire got going over the fire pit!