Key Experience Flashcards
What is your experience working with children 2-5 years old in a similar setting to Out There Forest School?
Recently I covered Evie as a key person for pink group on the Brislington site. I got to plan key group time and helped to set up the free flow space and forest school area each day. During this time I worked towards understanding the best way to utilise the outdoor spaces so the children could be independent in their learning. For example making obstacle courses from loose parts which the children could manipulate and putting out resources for Understanding the World like fresh ingredients in the mud kitchen. I also helped set up forest school activities like clay modelling and I would scaffold and model ideas. For example when I saw some of the children playing with the soft hedgehog toy we had, I showed them how to make a hedgehog out of the clay and small sticks. The children then used these as the baby hedgehogs which the children recognised would be born around this time in June and July. This was a great result in extending their learning based on their interests in that moment.
Secondly, while I was a 1:1 I worked towards learning the routine and flow of Out There so I always knew what was coming next in Ash’s timetable to prepare for any transitions, to think of any difficulties he may have in certain settings and how I could help facilitate his independent learning particularly his social and emotional learning. An example is when Ash wanted to role play as a baby cat. So I suggested we use the loose parts to make a cat basket. While this met some of his vestibular sensory needs, some of the other children noticed what we were doing and decided to come and help. This resulted in Ash playing with a group of children successfully where I could back off and observe him from a distance.
Both of these roles has allowed me to understand and work with the different learning areas of Out There, the different age ranges and abilities and how to be flexible, adaptable and creative in my approach to facilitating play-based learning in your setting while adhering to your educational philosophies.
What is your experience of the Forest School approach to learning?
A Forest School encourages children to:
- Develop personal and social skills.
- Work through practical problems and challenges.
- Use tools to create, build or manage.
- Discover how they learn best
- Pursue knowledge that interests them.
- Learn how to manage failures.
- Build confidence in decision-making and evaluating risk.
- Develop practical skills.
- Understand the benefits of a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
- Explore connections between humans, wildlife and the earth.
- Regularly experience achievement and success and become more motivated.
- Reflect on learning and experiences.
- Develop their language and communication skills and improve concentration.
- Improve physical motor skills.
While being a 1:1 with Ash I would observe him constantly and help him to interact with the hands-on learning in the forest school area that was set up by Brislington’s key people. Many of the activities Ash really excelled at were the risky physical activities like the slack line, climbing or running. He would gain a lot of confidence in himself when engaging in these activities. However if he lost the race, or couldn’t climb something I would need to work hard with him to help him emotionally regulate in these situations. So the opportunity to engage in risky physical activities provided great opportunities for Ash to develop physically, emotionally and socially but in an outdoor natural setting which helped to calm him and could accommodate his needs better. This experience showed me how beneficial the Forest School approach to learning is to all children but in particular to those with additional needs.
What is your experience of planning in the moment for 2-5 year old’s that extend their learning?
When I was covering Evie I planned a key group time around the planets after I saw the children really enjoying the Planet song during After Kindie. The next morning One of my key children asked what we were doing in key group time so I let him know we were going to look at the planets in our solar system. I knew he was a bit older than the other children in the group and was knowledgeable on the planets. So I decided in the moment to see if he knew that the planets revolved around the sun, which he did. I then checked to see if he knew why shadows moved throughout the day, which he did not. So I extended his learning by explaining that as the sun moves in the sky, the shadows will also move. This was a great opportunity to combine some Understanding the World topics like space and shadow investigation. I worked collaboratively with Bodhi as we decided how we could measure the shadow moving. We decided to make a mark in the wood chip with our feet. Then Bodhi decided to put a ten minute timer on and then come back to check if the shadow had moved. Of course every ten minutes the shadow moved. He loved this activity and really engaged with it and while I facilitated some of the learning I ensured he led the investigation. He then asked to repeat the experiment on the mornings proceeding this learning which was a great result.
What is your experience and understanding of Forest School Planning?
When planning hands-on experiences in a forest school I would be thinking about the available spaces in the part of the forest I am using and also the current season and flora and fauna that will be out as well as any adaptations for children with additional needs.
While I have not had the opportunity to plan my own forest school sessions I have been fortunate enough to learn from my colleagues at Out There and voluntary experiences at other Forest Schools.
For example, in spring I have witnessed planning and helped with river exploration and spring flower scavenger hunts. When volunteering with forest schools in autumn when it is not too cold but wet, I have used mud slides with children and when I volunteered in winter we frequently did cooking activities on an open fire and used the freezing temperatures to freeze things for children to crack open using tools.
By planning with the long-term process of being in an outdoor environment in mind children gain environmental awareness of the seasons while also given holistic opportunities to develop.
What is your experience of working with SEND children?
I worked with three SEND children in my previous mainstream school with differing needs and interventions. But I will talk about my experience with Ash as that is more relevant to this job role.
I worked alongside Alex the SENCO and Ash’s key person to talk about the interventions I was to use for him which they had set up before I started and seemed to be working well, as well as looking at his targets and next steps on his paper work so I knew what his next developmental steps were. It was very important to me to build a positive relationship with Ash’s parents as they were not too keen, so I ensured I made time to gain their trust. Building a relationship with Ash was vital too as I was helping him to regulate emotionally a lot of the time. Therefore, a warm and caring relationship was an essential component for this to be done effectively.
Methods I used with him which I have also used with the other children I have supported previously were sensory circuits, colour monster and traffic light system, a visual timetable with a now and next board, 5-minute time out box for meltdowns, sensory toys and pillow and transition warnings.
While these methods are common, I always made sure it was child-led. For example Ash chose what went in the red box, we collaborated on what would help him get from the red zone to the yellow zone and I would create his sensory circuits based on his interests. For example
Alert phase – race being cats, Organising phase - an obstacle course where we could balance like a cat does when walking a long a wall or I would throw a ball for him to catch pretending it was a ball of wool.
Calming phase we would build a cat basket using heavy loose parts where we would role play sleeping cats.
Giving Ash autonomy over his learning and interventions was key for Ash to learn what works for him when he felt a certain way. It helped him to engage in the tools that helped him and even in the short time I was with him I saw progress in his ability to know what he needed to help regulate himself which was a great result before he transitioned to his new setting.
What is your experience of positive behavior management in the early years?
An example I can give is when I was working with pink group I knew Ash had left the setting. I predicted that one of the boys who was influenced a lot to make challenging choices was a boy called Jimmy. I always prioritise relationship building for behaviour management. Once a child feels safe and feels positive towards you they are far more responsive to your expectations. I dedicated time during morning free play to work with Jimmy and start forming a bond. When I saw Jimmy struggling with behavioural expectations I would have him help me with certain jobs to make him feel included while also distracting him or I would ask him to model certain behaviours for the younger children making him feel proud of meeting those expectations. Even in the four days I was with the group Jimmy made progress with the behavioural expectations I set which was a fantastic result and shows the power of buidling strong relationships with children.
What is your knowledge and experience of Montessori, Steiner and Reggio educational approaches?
Children are treated as strong and capable individuals and are allowed to lead their own play-based learning. By providing an area for free flow play and using the natural world with seasonal rhythms children can be curious, problem solve, be creative and develop their own interests which results in self-motivated learning which helps their educational progression.
I have seen these principles in action while working at Out There Forest School. In particular the intrinsic motivation you see in children in their desire to learn because they are essentially leading there own curriculum. I also like that Out There doesn’t use a reward system and that children develop an intrinsic motivation to make good choices and how to solve problems socially, emotionally and physically.
What other experience do you have that is relevant to the role of being a key person at Out There Forest School?
I pursued a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science to deepen my understanding of ecological systems and I completed a masters in Animal Behaviour and Welfare to learn more about the animals we share our world with. Both of these degrees have helped me to appreciate the interconnections of all living things and the resilience, patience and adaptability of nature.These lessons have translated into my professional life where I approach challenges and education with a holistic perspective.
Lastly, I strongly believe in the power of environmental education and raising awareness about the importance of preserving nature. I have actively participated in educational outreach programs such as the RSPB’s school’s on reserves project and giving nature a home project. I have also volunteered on the Avon Gorge and Down’s school wildlife project and forest school voluntary work.
What experience do you have that will help you to make accurate records on our Famly software?
During my undergraduate and master’s degrees I wrote up scientific reports, collected and analysed data which required accurate record keeping as well conducting and writing observations. Accuracy was of vital importance as well as time-keeping and being organised to ensure reports were kept up-to-date and done on time. These skills are highly transitional to the role of a key person as you are required to keep children’s personal and developmental files up-to-date and give regular updates to parents and appropriate colleagues.
Ultimately by keeping records up-to-date you can plan more effectively for a child’s next steps which results in better progress for the child.
What experience do you have that will help you to develop effective relationships with colleagues, parents and outside agencies.
My confidence allows me to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for children and their families. I approach every interaction with enthusiasm and a warm smile, making children and parents feel comfortable and valued. By demonstrating confidence in my abilities as an educator, I create a sense of trust and establish strong connections with both children and their families. This enables effective communication, collaboration, and a positive learning environment.
I am always positive but open and honest with my communication with others. But also patience is key. Especially with parents who are a bit unsure like I experienced with Ash’s. Being confident but patient with them while also handing over their son happy and regulated allowed them to trust the process and what we were doing for Ash which was a great outcome.
Do you have any experience of working with outside agencies to improve children’s outcomes.
During my PGCE training we had a boy who was a refugee so him and his mom had very little money. I worked alongside the class teachers and the local vicar to get food banks for them and dental appointments to help meet the child’s basic needs which helped them to engage more in their learning.
Have you ever had to maintain confidentiality in a learning setting?
Yes while working with Ash I kept information confidential apart from Alex, Evie and his parents. Additionally I was involved in a safeguarding case at my last mainstream school setting. I followed protocol and the only person I shared the information with was my designated safeguarding lead.
