BTEC and CACHE Childcare Students Visit the ‘Forest Schools’ in Denmark

In May nine BTEC and CACHE Early Years students made a visit to Denmark as part of their childcare course. The students met up with Heads of Early Years at schools in Denmark to take a look at the Danish approach to education, the ‘Forest Schools’ scheme and the country’s culture. The students and staff were impressed with how the Danish embrace the outdoors and integrate the natural environment into the learning experience for pre-school children.

Lecturer Gillian Weldon-Homes said, “Danish Early Years practitioners view outdoor play as essential to children’s development. In Denmark the view is that it isn’t enough for children just to know how to read, write and add up, they also need to have the skills and competencies to use this knowledge. Children are encouraged to play, explore and learn in a forest or natural environment. Studies have shown that children attending Forest School kindergartens gain strong social skills, greater ability to work in groups, high self-esteem and confidence in their own capabilities. All these attributes proved to be an effective foundation that raised academic achievements.”

Gillian continued, “The Childcare team has also visited northern Italy and learned about the ‘Reggio Emilia’ approach to pre-school and primary education, which encourages self expression and creativity in an enriching classroom environment. The students’ experience of different educational philosophies is enriching their BTEC studies and will prove valuable as they progress to higher education.”