The Holly & Hawthorn Forest School
Mission Statement
‘To build physical and emotional development through outdoor experiences”
We aim give children the opportunity to:
- access outdoors as a learning environment
- develop useful skills and awareness of nature and the environment
- increase confidence and self-esteem as participants
- increase motivation and learn alternative attitudes
We are a non-profit making community group. We hope we charge a fair price for sessions to cover our costs, but also make us accessible.
The Forest School Leader for our sessions is Kaye Watts. We also have many excellent volunteers to help us with our sessions 🙂 In addition we are lucky to have volunteer committee that meets four times a year, with an AGM once a year.
We all the relevant policies – available on request. Volunteers and committee members have relevant and up-to-date DBS checks where appropriate. The Child Protection Officers are: Kaye Watts & Audrey Truan.
If you would like to volunteer and/or join the committee please contact us.
Forest School Leader & Founder: Kaye Watts
I have experience of working with a wide age range of children in a range of activities – from nursery to key stage 4. I worked in primary schools as a Teaching Assistant for over 20 years, gaining Higher Level Teaching Assistant status in 2005. In addition I have: lead Summer Playscheme Art Workshops, organised & led transition summer schools for Year 6’s going into Year 7 and coached athletics on a regular basis to 7-14 yr olds for Wells City Harriers for 15 years.
I first became aware and interested in Forest School in 2005. In 2007 I completed some basic training at Ammerdown with Frome Forest Schools. I used my training to run forest school sessions at St Paul’s Junior School as an after school club and continued to expand my training and experience volunteering at Wilder Woods Forest School, Hallr Wood, Charlton Mackrell (near Somerton).
Inspired I moved on to do an OCN Level 3 Forest School Leaders Award which enabled me to be insured to deliver forest school off school sites. This allowed me to set up Holly & Hawthorn, forming a not-for-profit community group. We had our first committee meeting in November 2011, with our first sessions in 2012 .
I decided to set up as a not-for-profit group because I believe 100% in Forest School, outdoor education & play. I have witnessed the effect Forest School has on children and the general effect being outdoors in a woodland setting has on all ages, which just makes me more passionate!”