The Forest School Prospectus

LEARNERS TODAY: LEADERS TOMORROW

THE FOREST SCHOOL WELCOME TO

We therefore believe that our school is very special – a happy and safe environment in which our students can learn, grow and develop into confident and successful global citizens. Forest has an excellent reputation for educating young adults. Our students benefit from learning in an enriching environment where there are no stereotypes. It is our mission to deliver the highest possible standards across all areas of school life and as a result we are confident that our young people will reach and exceed their potential during the time

Whilst our results speak for themselves, The Forest School is so much more. It’s the aspirational drive to be the best we can be –both students and staff; it’s the opportunities to challenge ourselves – in our learning, our understanding of our world, in our thinking and our actions. It’s the range of sporting, musical and expressive activities on offer; it’s the level of engagement in the school community shown by our students; it’s the caring and nurturing environment that allows each individual to flourish and grow.

I am very proud to welcome you to The Forest School. We see our school as the centre of a family which includes students, parents and staff.

“ The curriculum provides good support for pupils’ welfare through the caring pastoral system.”

PROMPT

Throughout Years 5 and 6, we run a variety of activities at Forest and in the primary schools. The pupils meet Forest staff, participate in lessons with some of the teachers and spend time with some of the older Forest students. This allows them to become more familiar with how their new lessons will differ from those in primary school.

In addition to the Transition Day and evening for parents held in early July we offer a New Foresters programme (for children who may struggle more with transition) and a Forest

Friends programme (for children who are just one or two coming from their primary school). Your child could also sign up for a Saturday cooking session or maybe a STEM activity.

And with a week of Summer School, which is fully funded by the school, your child could spend a whole week with us at the beginning of the Summer Holiday taking part in fun lessons, team building activities, eating a meal together and getting to know lots of teachers whilst making so many new friends along the way.

The Forest School Transition Team has a wealth of experience in all aspects of the move from primary school to secondary school.

“ The communication has been amazing and personal and made our child really look forward to being part of the school.” Parent

Ofsted January 2022

“Leaders have designed a curriculum to inspire and enthuse pupils. The intent of the curriculum is clear, and the content is ambitious and well considered.”

PREPARED

Curriculum

We have a broad Key Stage 3 Curriculum for Years 7 to 9 allowing our learners to develop wide academic skills in preparation for their two year GCSE courses.Our innovative and diverse curriculum is teamed with progressive teaching methods to create a vibrant, creative and aspirational learning environment.

The vision for “more able” and “talented” students at Forest is one of ensuring that every

student with the inherent ability to exceed “normal expectations” is recognised at the earliest opportunity, and that every possible measure is taken to ensure that they achieve above their expected outcomes. Students in KS3 have this academic year been involved in the implementation of our ‘super curriculum’ and our year 10 students have the opportunity to visit Churchill College, Cambridge.

SCHOOL MAP

PRODUCTIVE

Extra Curricular Activities

We challenge our students through a wide range of extracurricular provision and collapsed learning days through our Character Curriculum. This includes learning how to be a good citizen and life skills.

We offer exciting residential trips from Cornwall to Florence and the Ardèche. No matter which activities our learners choose, the focus is on discovery and working together.

At the Forest School, we put a great deal of emphasis on extra-curricular activities as they give students a broader perspective on life, higher self-esteem and develops essential life skills such as teamwork, problem solving and leadership. We offer a diverse selection of clubs from sports to chess and we have an annual school production.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

The school runs the Bronze Award for students in Years 9 and 10. In order to achieve the award the students need to successfully complete four areas: volunteering, physical activity, skill development and an expedition. This gives the students the opportunity to work independently on the first three sections and as part of a team for the expedition. By participating in the award scheme, students develop key ‘soft skills’ and qualities such as leadership, teamwork, communication and resilience.

“My son had an amazing time in the Ardèche. It was great to have day to day updates on social media.” Parent

“The school has been accredited for its work on promoting positive mental health and well-being.”

POLITE

Wellbeing is all about our holistic health, including the physical and emotional.

At Forest we believe that a happy student is successful learner. Therefore, we ensure that everyone is given the right emotional and practical support so that they can achieve their full potential.

Pastoral

We pride ourselves at Forest on the quality of our pastoral provision. To support your child, we have a range of staff who will play a pivotal role in their learning journey at the school. These include, four non-teaching Heads of House, school counsellor, two learning mentors and a range of behavioural support.

Head of House

At Forest your child will be in one of four Houses: Eagle, Falcon, Kestrel and Osprey - four smaller schools within The Forest Family. Each of the Houses is led by a nonteaching member of staff who will form the main link between home and school.

Inclusion

At Forest, we respect the differences of every child as an individual and the needs of the child is central to our teaching and learning offer. Every teacher at Forest is a teacher of SEND and this is a role we take very seriously at the school.

PROUD

We are excited to welcome you into our Forest Family. Why choose us?

Forest is “A School with a Heart.” County Times

“ Pupils are respectful, polite and courteous towards each other. They are hospitable towards visitors and proud of their school.”

“ Transitions are managed very well and are much appreciated by parents and carers and pupils.”

“ Pupils say that they feel happy and safe. Bullying is rare.”

“ Thank you to everyone for the support during lockdown. You are wonderful people and I didn’t realise until I had to teach just how much we appreciate you all.”

“ Mr Straw and all the Forest teachers and staff have been fantastic, they have gone above and beyond to make sure the boys have as much as a normal day as possible whilst home schooling, classes are engaging and very structured, which is so reassuring for me as a parent. Thank you to all involved.” Parent

“ Thank you so much for all the communication and support during this extremely challenging time!”

“Pupils spoken to had high aspirations for their future as ‘confident, articulate and caring adults’.”

“The culture of safeguarding across the school is very strong.”