NEWBOLD FOREST SCHOOL

Forest School and Our Sustainability Journey at Newbold School

At Newbold School, we are committed to nurturing young minds while caring for the world around us. Our Forest School programme, led by two fully qualified Forest School Leaders, runs from Early Years through to Year 6, giving children hands-on learning experiences in nature that develop curiosity, resilience and a lifelong respect for the environment. With our new tipi tent, pupils now have a dedicated outdoor space for lessons, storytelling and activities that connect them directly with the natural world.

We are proud of the strides we have made in our sustainability journey. Our school has embarked on an ambitious mission to achieve net zero by 2030, focusing on five key areas:

Energy – reducing usage and embracing greener alternatives.
Water – conserving resources and promoting responsible use.
Biodiversity – creating habitats and encouraging wildlife.
Travel and Transport – making journeys more sustainable.
Waste – sorting, reducing, and recycling wherever possible.

Our pupils are actively involved in initiatives that make a real difference. We have created flower and vegetable gardens, planted trees with the Woodland Trust and have already started sorting our waste into soft plastics, recyclables and non-recyclables. These efforts are helping children understand how their actions contribute to a healthier planet.

Our achievements reflect the dedication of our whole school community. We have earned the Platinum Woodland Trust Award following our Eco Green Flag Award and our thriving Eco Council continues to lead projects that improve our school and local environment. We are now embarking on the National Geographical Society Gold Standard Award, further inspiring pupils to explore and protect the natural world. Notably, our work has even been recognised personally by Sir David Attenborough, who sent us a letter thanking the school for our commitment to helping the planet.

We are also proud participants in the Department for Education’s School Nature Park scheme, which allows us to increase biodiversity on our school grounds. When all school green spaces across England are added together, they cover an area twice the size of Birmingham. By creating nature corridors between schools, we can help wildlife move safely, support thriving ecosystems and make a tangible difference to the environment.

Through Forest School, sustainability projects and eco initiatives, our pupils are learning how they can make a valuable contribution to protecting the planet, understanding that small steps, when combined, can lead to significant positive change. At Newbold School, we are proud to be cultivating the environmental champions of the future.

Please take a look at our Forest School blog! You can find it on the drop-down menu at the top!