At St. Matthew's C of E Primary, we are very proud to have such wonderful and spacious grounds, from our pond area with decking for pond dipping, to our wild-flower meadow, to our wooded tree area, vegetable gardens and large field, there are so many areas to explore. 

 Pupils at St Matthew’s receive dedicated Forest School sessions in four out of their six years at our school. They are hugely stimulated by spending time for these outdoor sessions and we believe that this helps build their confidence, learning capacity, enthusiasm, communication and problem-solving skills, as well as improving their emotional well-being.

At Forest School, pupils’ experiences often lead to the development of healthier lifestyles as they often ask their parents to take them on trips to woodlands and green spaces outside of school times. As the children gain confidence and improve their self-esteem this can impact on their emotional and mental well-being.

In addition to our own staff who teach and facilitate the principles of Forest School, we are also extremely fortunate to have the services of Maria Sprostranova from Greenwise People, who brings her team weekly to run whole day sessions and two afternoon sessions. The passion and knowledge that she brings is incredible and the children and staff gain so much from having her and her team with us each week - whatever the season and weather!