Please read on to find out what has been happening in the classes, our new pirate ship, workshops for the community in our art studio and much, much more…

All is going very well and a good night was had by all. Yesterday was archery, fencing and canoeing (one teacher fell in and was bobbing around in Ilfracombe Harbour!) and today is rock scrambling and rockpooling. 

News from around the classes and much, much more…

Forest club 11th and 12th October

Last week’s theme was fire and fire safety, with both groups cooking a number of savoury and sweet items over an open fire in the fire circle. It was an opportunity to highlight the importance of acting responsibly in the circle and listening carefully to instructions. All of the children were respectful of the rules and with those safety aspects taken care of, everyone could relax and enjoy sharing stories, ideas and jokes with each other round the fire, while the food cooked. After eating the food and having a warm chocolate drink, the children then spent the remaining time on individually chosen woodland activities.

This week we have our last sessions before the half term break, but we will then be continuing with sessions until the Christmas holidays. Don’t forget to supply warm clothing, suitable footwear and waterproofs, to keep your children snug and dry.

Please note our new email address: enquiries@mudtastic.co.uk

Phone: Jayne on 07984655688

Please read on to find out about our choir performing, residential trips and much, much more in and around the classes and Appledore…

Forest club 4th and 5th October]

Please read on to find out about conker painting, the enew shelter, planting and future cooking…

Please read on to find out about harvest festival, parent evenings and much. much more…

Yr6 had a great time completing the Team Quest yesterday afternoon and then settled into their rooms. All excited for the activities today will bring.

They have all arrived safely and are now exploring the centre.

Please read on to find dates for Halloween Disco and Christmas Fare, what has been going on in and around the classes and much more…

Forest club 27th and 28th September

Last week’s sessions focused on hedgehogs preparing for hibernation. The children made model hedgehogs out of pine cones, clay and other natural materials and have begun building snug hedgehog houses for the local wildlife.

Some of the children were also busy collecting conkers, and each child kindly shared all but two of them with the rest of the group, by adding them to our craft resources. With some resources collected on site and some being sourced elsewhere, we are slowly building up a really diverse selection of materials. If you have any materials you feel may be useful for crafts we would be most grateful for donations. Coloured stones, leaves, nuts, logs, offcuts of wood from carpentry projects, wall tiles, slate roofing tiles, fabric…everything is useful.

Experiments in den building have resulted in some stylish constructions and some very imaginative knot-work. We expect to see the structures growing over the next few weeks. Thank you to all of the children who have enjoyed playing in and around the dens, including those who don’t attend the forest club, for being very thoughtful and not damaging the structures.

Please note our new email address: enquiries@mudtastic.co.uk

Phone number is still Jayne on 07984655688

Forest club 20th and 21st September

In the latest forest school sessions a group of children have been focusing on den building, looking at effective ways to lash branches together to make secure structures. They will be experimenting with different types of cordage, to find the strongest and easiest to use types and have been looking at how different shapes can affect the rigidity of a structure.

In their woodland crafts some of the children have been decorating sticks with colourful streamers to celebrate the end of a busy summer and welcome in the autumn. Other children have been writing and drawing in their forest books or creating mud monsters and pets.

One group has been exploring spaces in the undergrowth to use as secret dens, and inventing secret codes and passwords. We will be adding to planting on site to create more of these fun spaces for imaginative play.

If you have any queries or would like to:
enrol your child in a session
help to build new resources
donate materials
share a traditional skill or craft with the group
please call Jayne on 07984655688 or email jaynewheatley2001@hotmail.com

There is a parent/carers information event at Petroc College, Barnstaple on 20th November 2-3:30pm.

They aim to answer the following questions:

• What support is there for children with SEND?
• What is ‘assess, plan, do, and review’?
• What do all the recent changes mean for me and my family? 
• What is the SEND Local Offer?

They will help you to understand the system in Devon.
For more information or to register for a place:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/send-parent-information-event-barnstaple-tickets-36773404242

For news about the Halloween Disco, staff news and other events around and about the school, please read on…

Forest club to up the 14th September

The recent high winds and rain have provided a wealth of fallen materials in the woods for forest school activities. There have been caterpillars blown from trees to identify, acorns, chestnuts and feathers to collect and sell in forest ‘shops’, imaginary animals to make from natural items, natural jewellery to string together, fallen twigs to decorate, dens to repair and exciting mud pies and soups to make from a wealth of new ingredients. The winds have also given us an opportunity to make model birds and experiment with flight, and some of the children have been making bird feeders help the birds through the cooler months.

During a holiday club session involving looking at the mini beasts in the school pond (some through a microscope as they were so tiny), we discovered that the pond is home to a large population of common newts, so this year we will be taking advice on how to improve the habitat for them and maintain the population.

The new trees that have been planted by children and parents this year have benefitted from the rain and are growing in strength. This winter we will be letting the leaf litter collect on the ground, establishing a rich new habitat that will encourage new plants and insect life and prevent erosion. We have also been offered willow cuttings to plant over the winter, to start to build new willow structures. You may have seen some large wooden structures in the garden, awaiting construction, these are materials for a circular building that will provide some extra sheltered space for winter activities.

A focus for this year will be recycling and making high quality compost.

DON’T FORGET – YOUR CHILDREN NEED TO BRING WARM CLOTHING, WATERPROOFS, CORRECT FOOTWEAR, GARDENING GLOVES AND SNACKS FOR THESE COOLER MONTHS.

If you have any queries or would like to:
• enrol your child in a session
• help to build new resources
• donate materials
• share a traditional skill or craft with the group
please call Jayne on 07984655688 or email jaynewheatley2001@hotmail.com