Learning about the natural world through play
As millions of children return to the classroom, a growing number of parents are looking for alternatives after seeing their children struggle in traditional school environments.
Looking beyond the mainstream when it comes to your child's education? Our Alternative Schools Guide 2026 is out now, and it's free to download
With no uniform, first-name terms and a gate straight into the New Forest, NFSS feels less like a school and more like an extended family
New Forest Small School has been quietly doing things differently for over 30 years. The Green Parent speaks to headteacher Alex James about play, nurture, and why a gentle start matters
A walk through the woods in spring is rarely silent. Long before you catch sight of any movement in the branches, the woodland is alive with birdsong echoing through the trees from dawn until dusk and sometimes into the night.
For a few precious weeks each spring, Britain’s woodlands are transformed. Beneath newly leafing canopies, native bluebells unfurl in drifts of deep violet and soft blue, creating one of the most iconic sights in the countryside.
