Yes and No! Forest School is not about listening to a teacher telling you what you must do, but there are still some rules to be followed to keep everyone safe. Forest School happens outside and involves a lot of play-based activities with ‘risk’ levels managed according to individual needs. The Forest School leader is qualified to run a Forest School and has up to date First Aid and food hygiene certificates.

Everyone learns skills to help them stay safe, individually and as part of a group, so all can experience a relaxed and fun time, enjoying the delights of playing in a wild outdoors space. Activities are introduced to the group and individuals on a ‘readiness’* basis and can include:

• Exploration games
• Working with saws
• Using woodland management tools
• Learning about the plants and animals that live in a woodland
• Making things with wood, from the wood!
• Den building
• Experiences to encourage imagination and creativity
• Story-telling
• Camp-fire building
• Cooking over an open fire

* Readiness – this means that the Forest School leader will assess individuals as to whether they possess understanding, relating to the risk involved in a particular activity, through demonstrating behaviour for staying safe, in relation to themselves and others. Accidents can happen, but we try to minimise the risk to individuals through risk-management of activities and situations and building risk-awareness. Risk-management is a skill individuals learn at Forest School, with the aim of influencing their approach and appraisal of other risky situations in the wider world.

Considerable research shows that Forest School helps children

• Gain self-confidence
• Encourage independance
• Improve social skills
• Increase attention span
• Develop problem solving skills
• Encourage creative thinking

“A marvellous opportunity to learn” Forestry Commission report – Liz O’Brien and Richard Murray

Session length can vary from a couple of hours to half a day, or even a whole day at a time. For children aged from 4 to 10 a two hour session, run on the same day over several weeks, has been found to deliver most benefit. Forest School research shows that a minimum of 6 weekly sessions is required to fully appreciate the benefits to an individual from attending. We appreciate other family happenings can make commitment to a block of 6 weekly sessions challenging. So, this Autumn we’re providing a new model that will suit beginners and those who’ve attended Forest School last year and want to return.

The cost is £25/session for each child or £125 for a block of 6 sessions

Susan Collini is a qualified Forest School Level 3 Leader with up to date Paediatric First Aid. Susan worked for many years as a teacher, working within mainstream and special needs educational provisions.

Susan is also a Level 3 practitioner in Social Forestry, a qualification for working with adults and children to promote wellbeing through nature connection and nature immersion.