YOUNGSTERS at Harvington CE First School will be getting back to nature thanks to a Forest School initiative.

The inspirational education system was founded in Sweden, Norway and Finland 15 years ago and has since become an increasingly important part of early year’s education in England as well.

It means that children are encouraged to spend time outdoors, usually in woods or forests on the school grounds, learning practical skills like making shelters, whittling sticks, lighting fires and cooking food.

Harvington school’s acting headteacher, Helen Fishbourne, said: “We began developing our grounds about 10 years ago when the church gave us an adjoining piece of ground.

“We moved the football pitch and planted hundreds of evergreen and deciduous trees to create archways, hazel tunnels, woodland walks and storytelling areas.

“Now, those trees are really maturing and our children can have all the adventure and a sense of exploration that comes with spending time in the English countryside.

”Lots of people in the village have been involved and this has been a real community achievement.”

Vale designer, Guy Redmond, co-created the school’s outdoor areas in 2001 and was called back recently to help plant vegetable gardens and orchards, a coppice craft area, a stone circle and a fire garden all linked by a series of woodland walks.

He said: “Outdoor developments like these encourage children to form positive life-long associations with the natural world from an early age. Against such a backdrop children understand the basis of forming healthy relationships and that cooperative learning is challenging and great fun.”