Grass Roots Forest School

Nurturing young people through outdoor learning  

A £10,000 grant from OneRichmond helped Grass Roots Forest School develop a new outdoor learning space at Malden Oaks Pupil Referral Unit, offering nature-based education and wellbeing sessions for young people aged 11 to 16 years.  

Many of the young people who attend Malden Oaks are unable to cope in mainstream schools and benefit from alternative education activities and settings. Being included in the design of the forest school, meant the young people felt ownership of the space and were much more engaged in the activities. 

In the first 12 weeks of the project, 49 young people took part in sessions that focused on understanding the environment, learning how to use tools and outdoor equipment, cooking food outside, and improving their communication with adults and their peers.  

The Malden Oaks Headteacher saw first-hand the impact of the project on the students:  

“One student in particular has found these activities hugely beneficial. He struggles to manage his anger and the sessions acted like a pressure valve for him. He was able to build relationships with the project leaders and gain positive feedback for his contribution to activities. This has helped to build his self-esteem and made the demands of school easier to manage.”