A NATURAL school, the first of its kind in the area, held a special event for children aged under five.

Little Hawk Forest School is set on private land in Weeley and holds fun, safe and environmentally-friendly events for children.

The event on Friday, October 14, saw children make potions and elixirs at the mud kitchen, paint, dress up, hunt for bugs and explore the wonders of the school’s meadow.

Molly Wilson, school leader, said: “At these events, you can explore our woods, balance, climb, swing in the trees, make music, hide in the tree house and shelter within our bell tent.

“There are also areas where non-walkers can crawl and interact with resources.

“Our ethos supports child-led play, nature connection and risk-taking which promotes confidence, resilience and sparks imagination. Being outside also supports a healthy immune system.”

There is the choice of shelter with the school’s yurt tent which houses its indoor classroom and a bell tent set in the woods.

The school runs event in most weather conditions other than in high wind and electrical storms

Each session ends with the children gathering around a fire to roast marshmallows and enjoy a hot drink.

Molly added: “We facilitate a safe space to take risks and use tools such as hammers, saws, hand drills and knives.

“I am trained, experienced and will only introduce tools to children when I have assessed it is safe to do so.”

The school is working on introducing a nursery and is currently waiting for Ofsted to finalise its registration.

Under-five’s sessions take place on Mondays and Fridays, and there are family weekend sessions for toddlers and children up to the age of ten.

The school’s concept of working outside with young people originated from Scandinavian countries in the 1950s.

Little Hawk has six core principles of being participant-centred, holistic, taking risks, focused on the natural environment and qualified leadership.

For more information on the school visit littlehawkforestschool.com/.