"I'm personally really glad that 'N' is supported to learn and guided by your principles. Having spent a term at Little Forest, I would say they are embedded and certainly reflected within the children. The Family environment at Little Forest is such a valuable resource to him socially as are the principles you run by. We are very happy with them as they are and think they reflect your work brilliantly x"
- Parent -
Little Forest is an eco-democratic learning community for children who are either home educated or who learn 'otherwise' than at school, in Horsham, West Sussex. By 'eco-democratic', we mean that we practice equitable community decision making which respects the rights of all nature's children, including human children and more than human children. We are for young people who want to explore their curiosity and share decision making in a nature loving community.
We are based in our small family home and garden studio and we believe that small is beautiful. Behind the garden we have our own allotment plot and communal wildlife garden and we are just 10 minutes walk to Chesworth Farm Nature Reserve. On Tuesdays, we have exclusive use of a beautiful hornbeam circle in a private ancient woodland near Horsham.
Our offering supports personal, social and ecological well-being using the three pillars of self direction, consent culture and ecological democracy. We are open on Mondays for nomadic adventure-based learning in the community, Tuesdays for nature connection and exploration in the forest and Thursdays for personal growth, play and projects in our family home.
We have developed a set of guiding principles which describe our culture and practice. If you and your child like the sound of these, then Little Forest may be a good fit.
Joyful - learning is joyful, we like to play, spend time in nature and have fun.
Curiosity driven - learning is intrinsically motivated and stems from the children's interests. Children are free to choose what they learn and how they learn it, at their own pace. Adults are facilitators of learning, they learn in partnership with the children and create an environment for each person to grow in their own unique and beautiful way.
Consent based community - our community is built on mutual respect for our personal boundaries and the boundaries of others. We ask for consent before touching someone or their things and we make decisions by consent. Learning opportunities are offered or requested by anyone in the community and participation is voluntary.
Interconnected - we learn through life, play and projects in real world contexts. Learning is not a separate activity, we are learning all the time. Therefore, the learning environment, culture and experience are important. When given the freedom and the opportunities, children will learn what they need to learn, when they need to learn it and we trust in this process of self discovery in the world.
Regenerative learning - learning, like any other living process, is regenerative. Learning is a cycle or spiral of growth which goes through distinct phases of intention, rapid growth, bearing the fruits and rest. Every phase is important, we can't have growth without rest. In our regenerative learning cycle, we connect with nature and her cycles. Nature is our guide, our teacher and our friend.
Ecological democracy - this is an active process of balancing our needs with the needs of every living being in our big Earth family. This includes our friends and family, the whole of humanity, plant, animal and fungi kingdoms, water, soils and atmosphere. It is based on the principle that humans have rights, children have rights in honour of their life stage and nature also has rights, including the right to life. We practise ecological democracy every day as part of the fabric of our meetings and in our gentle way of living. We consider any objections that might be felt by any part of our Earth family, and we make agreements to minimise these. Sometimes there is a conflict of needs. When this happens, we talk about the different needs to develop understanding and empathy, and then look for solutions which meet the needs of both parties.
Circle meetings and community agreements - all our planning is done together in our meetings and we also make community agreements to make this a safe space for all. The purpose of our meetings is to tune into ourselves, check in with each other and make plans for the day. We start every day with a morning meeting to run through the plan for the day and we end everyday with an afternoon meeting to plan for the next day. The expectation is that everyone attends meetings and keeps to the agreements. We also call special circles if we need to problem solve, resolve conflict or risk assess together.
If this is the type of environment where your child will flourish, please contact us to discuss your child's needs, to arrange a visit or book some trial sessions.
Do you and your child love the sound of learning in a nature loving community? We would love to talk to you! Please email jen@littleforest.education to start the conversation, to arrange a visit or organise a trial day.
Our Workshop
Our Allotment
Morning Meeting
Small world role play
Making Animal Costumes
Freedom to Create
Journey Along the River Arun - Inholms Gyll
Journey Along the River Arun - Goldings Bridge
Journey Along the River Arun - Amberley
