CHILDREN are getting a sense of the great outdoors as part of a forest class.

Pupils from Meeching Valley Primary School in Newhaven have been given a taste of cooking in the open and chopping wood.

Headteacher Davina Wakelin devised the Forest School when she saw the potential of the primary’s wooded field area.

She said: “I wanted the children to have a positive attitude towards learning and to develop confidence in their learning.

“It’s really good for them. It gives them a different experience.

“It develops their social skills, self esteem and an awareness of nature.”

When The Argus visited, the children built fires and cooked sausages.

They also made pancakes and syrups made from handpicked rosehip and blackberries.

The first Forest School started in September and took place once a week.

Mrs Wakelin hopes to sustain the Forest School project for years to come. She added: “It’s nice that they are experiencing the environment and finding out about the natural world.”