DELIGHTED youngsters are discovering the many animals living in their school grounds.

“The smile on their faces as they discover a great crested newt that is hidden or they see a frog making its way to the pond is priceless,” said Philip Ivory, headteacher of St George’s CE Primary School in Westhoughton, which has officially launched its Forest School initiative.

Forest Schools takes children’s learning out of the classroom in the great outdoors.

Research shows that children are stimulated by the outdoors and experience an increase in their self-belief, confidence, communication and problem-solving skills.

The initiative also helps children develop healthier lifestyles as they visit woodlands and outdoor spaces in their spare time and learn how to stay safe and assess risk as they explore, climb trees, and use tools to build shelters and dens.

And the outdoor area can be used to enhance and enrich the academic curriculum.

The school’s PTA— parents teachers’ association — has successfully applied for a Awards for All Lottery Grant to run the project,

Three members of staff are undergoing training to help them become fully qualified Forest School educators.

Mr Ivory said: “We have already seen an extremely positive impact on our children and it is an absolute joy to see the children of St George’s engaging in such an energetic and enthusiastic way with nature.

“The children are busy making new friends and sharing new experiences. It is supporting our desire to develop an enriching, engaging and exciting curriculum for all our children.

“There is a large body of evidence that supports the benefits of Forest Schools on child development and improvements in engagement levels across school.

“ It also helps the children relate to the outdoors and fill them with awe and wonder with all that nature has to offer. Lest we forget — the children are having a ball!”

Activities include children using their imagination to transform the outdoors into a world of fantasy as they look for dragons in their quest to find the “dragon’s breath”, rebuilding houses for the little people that have been destroyed by dragons, followed by coming back to the real world of newts, pond dipping and bug hunting.

There will also be woodland craft, bush craft and tool work.

Next month there will be a fire pit celebration event, where children will toast marshmallows for their parents.

Pupil Carmen Brett said: "This week we made houses for the little people because the dragons had burnt their houses down.

"We were allowed to play in the mud and I got very dirty!

"I really enjoy being outdoors even in bad weather and had a great time with my friend Carys searching for eggs and building a church for the little people in a small pond. Forest Schools is ace."

Classmate Joseph Brookfield added: "Forest Schools is fun. I built a little house with my friends Sammy, Callum, Sam and James for the little people because of those naughty dragons.

"We had to gather lots of branches, sticks and twigs to make the sure the houses were strong and we used grass for the roof in case it rained."