At Silverwoods Forest School, we provide an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning for children, young people, and adults across Surrey, Hampton, Leatherhead, Cobham, Dorking, the Surrey Hills, and West Sussex.

With over 10 years of Forest School experience, our ethos is rooted in adventure, creativity, and connection with nature.

Through play, exploration, achievable challenges, games, art, crafts, and campfire cooking, learners of all ages develop:

🌱 Confidence

🌱 Self-esteem

🌱 Problem-solving skills

🌱 Resilience

🌱 A deep respect for the natural world

Forest School takes place all year round, in all weathers — except in high winds, thunderstorms, or lightning — so every season becomes part of the adventure. Thanks to our large parachute shelter, we can enjoy our woodland space come rain or shine (used at our party and holiday club site).

👉 Follow us for updates and photos:

• 🌿 Instagram: @silverwoodsforest

• 💚 Facebook: @silverwoodsforestschool

Or book directly via our Ticket Tailor booking system.

Hi, my name is Victoria Hofgartner, and I am the owner of Silverwoods Forest School.

I’m also a mum to Sterling, my adventurous and nature-loving son who inspires me every day.

I am creative, strong-willed, and passionate about helping children and adults tune into nature.

My mission is to create a world where people are more connected to one another and the outdoors — and less tied to the stresses of modern life.

💚 Everyone needs a little nature in their lives. It feeds the soul!

My Experience

I began my Forest School journey in 2015, giving me 10 years of experience in this field.

Qualifications and Training

• Level 3 Forest School Practitioner (Archimedes – Forest School Education)
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (TQUK Level 2 in Safeguarding, Prevent & British Values, 2021)
• Paediatric & Outdoor First Aid qualified
• Fully insured with £5 million Public Liability Insurance
• Enhanced DBS on the update service
• Level 2 Award in Food Safety

I have several years of experience as a nanny, in local schools, and running Forest School programmes across Surrey and West Sussex.

My work includes: 

Pyrford Primary C of E School • Little Acorns Day Nursery, Cobham • Little Hearts Nursery, Cranleigh • Little Oaks, Leatherhead • Aston Pierpoint Nursery, Hampton • The Nursery School, Charlwood • St Andrew’s, Cobham • St Matthew’s C of E, Downside, Cobham • The Weald C of E Primary School, Dorking • Warren Mead Infant & Junior School, Banstead

I’ve also assisted in sessions for other Forest Schools across Surrey and London, including children with additional needs and disabilities.

Alongside this, I hold a deep passion for wild food foraging.

I trained with Di Hammill (Wild Harvest School) to teach sustainable foraging, and I love to cook and share wild foods over the campfire.

What I Offer

✅ Travelling Forest School Sessions

I bring all the resources needed to run Forest School sessions at your school or nursery site — making it easy to introduce outdoor learning without needing a woodland.

Sessions can be linked directly to the national curriculum, supporting science, art, maths, English, and more.

✅ After-School Forest School Clubs

Fun, engaging clubs where children immerse themselves in outdoor play, tool use, games, and campfire cooking — building confidence and teamwork.

✅ Birthday Parties & Holiday Clubs

• Held at The Weald C of E Primary School, Beare Green, Dorking
• Toilets & parking on site
• Large parachute shelter for all-weather fun
• Bespoke woodland furniture crafted by my husband, including:
  • Solid oak mud kitchen with a double Belfast sink
  • Wooden benches and crafting tables Oak log seating

👉 Parties start from £200, with an optional fully catered woodland buffet — just bring your cake and candles!

✅ Adult Workshops & Seasonal Events

• Wild food & foraging workshops
• Christmas wreath making – perfect for schools, nurseries and corporate groups.

I can travel to your venue and run these events on-site, bringing all materials and guidance for a relaxed, creative, and festive experience.

• One-off seasonal family events

Silverwoods Outdoor Learning is the consultancy and curriculum development branch of Silverwoods Forest School.

This branch supports schools and nurseries in designing meaningful, hands-on outdoor learning experiences that connect directly to the National Curriculum.

Through curriculum-linked planning, workshops, and consultancy, I help educators bring subjects like science, geography, and art to life beyond the classroom — turning outdoor spaces into powerful learning environments.

Connecting curriculum to the natural world

📍 Find Us

Our private Forest School sessions take place at:

The Weald C of E Primary School Newdigate Road Beare Green Dorking RH5 4QW

These include birthday parties and holiday camps.

🌿 Our regular school and nursery programmes run across a variety of other sites in Surrey and beyond.

🚗 Getting Here

By Car:

• The school is just off the A24 between Dorking and Horsham.
• From Dorking: head south on the A24 for around 10 minutes, turn left onto Newdigate Road — the school is on your left.
• From Horsham: head north on the A24 for around 15 minutes, turn right onto Newdigate Road — the school is on your left.
• Free on-site parking is available.

By Train:

• Nearest station: Holmwood (1 mile, 20-minute walk or 5-minute drive).
• Dorking mainline station is about 10 minutes by car/taxi.

By Bus:

• Local routes from Dorking and Horsham stop close to the school along the A24.