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Project details

Reduction type

Attitudinal Change


Area

Barnsley


Funding amount

£5,050


Purpose

Forest School, helps improve children’s resilience, self-esteem, low mood, team work and conflict resolution skills, as well as being fun. Thus can help reduce a child’s level of response to others to one that is more appropriate.

Families referred in for Family Support – aim to strengthen their resilience. For children who are at risk or have been excluded from schools and provisions can go to feel safe and learn through play to know what normal looks like.

A service from age five and will adapt and split the groups accordingly. There will be four sessions on a Sunday from 9:30 to 3:30 pm once a month for 15 children (from ages 5 to 16) with 3 fully qualified, experienced Forest School Leaders.

Quick summary

Naturewood Project, through various fun activities helped children that had been identified by social workers, family support workers or schools as being at risk of being excluded from school for anti-social behaviour, to develop resilience, self-esteem, etc. and therefore resulting in an overall improvement.


The Forest School Outdoor Activities project is a particular kind of educational programme that takes place in the outdoors, preferably in a natural wooded area.

It is characterised by positive relationships, achievable tasks and fun. The aim in Forest School is to create an environment where children can develop into well-balanced and independent human beings with good relationships to others. Some of the proven benefits of Forest Schools include improving children’s resilience, self-esteem, low mood, teamwork and conflict resolution skills, we aim to strengthen their resilience, changing the narrative where violence is normalised with these children.

The project supported 13 children, aged 6-15 years that had been identified by social workers, family support workers or schools as being at risk of being excluded from school for anti-social behaviour.

Two young people had already been out of school for a while. The majority came from under-privileged families and two had a diagnosis of ASD.

They attended the sessions and received adult attention and interaction, which is what most of them craved. They experienced new challenges and opportunities.

The project has had positive feedback from parents, the school liaisons and social workers stating that the children enjoyed the sessions and their behaviour in the week following the sessions was improved and the children appeared calmer.

The grant funded the setting up, the administration and running of the sessions provided. They were also able to transport some of the children to the sessions as this was identified as a barrier to inclusion for the majority of the children that wanted to attend.

Related community projects

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Swinton Lock Activity Centre