Bush School is coming to Clayfield College

Bush School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through the exploration of the natural bushland. It is a long-term program that supports play, creativity and risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting. 

The concept of Bush School or Forest School originated in Scandinavia where free air life living was seen as a way of life. The process helps and facilitates more than knowledge-gathering, it helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to take risks with the support of their teachers. The approach to risk means that learners constantly expand on their abilities by solving real-world issues, building self-belief and resilience. Risk is more than just potential for physical harm, but more holistic; there are risks in everything we do, and we grow by overcoming them. Bush School therefore, helps our students to become, healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners. 

Learners are seen to be: 

  • equal, unique and valuable
  • competent to explore and discover
  • enabled to experience appropriate risk and challenge
  • empowered to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development
  • to experience regular success
  • supported to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people.  

“Beginning in 2021 (Term 3), Prep students will spend one day per week exploring a nearby bush setting.”

To underpin their unit of Inquiry on Living Things, the students will develop their inquiry skills, creativity and knowledge as they discover the marvels of this natural setting and bring their learning back to the classroom. This practice of reflection and inquiry supports the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) philosophy of student agency and the importance that process plays in learning. We are excited that Clayfield College has begun its journey to becoming an IBPYP Candidate School.

If you want to know more about the wonders of our Clayfield Bush School and our co-educational Primary School offering, join me for an upcoming Head of Primary-led tour.

Mrs Audrey Fellowes 
Head of Primary