Forest School

Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth.  The Forest School program supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops learner’s confidence and self-esteem through inspired, hands-on experiences in our natural setting.

Forest School helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to try stuff out and take risks. It inspires a deep and meaningful connection to the world and an understanding of how a learner fits within it. Forest School therefore, helps participants to become, healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners.

The Forest School ethos has six principles, which were agreed by the UK Forest School community in 2011.  Further information regarding Forest School can be found by watching https://youtu.be/5qCN0JHeR-Y or by accessing the Forest School Association website at  https://forestschoolassociation.org/

Principles and criteria for good practice 

Principle 1: Forest School is a long-term process of frequent and regular sessions in a woodland or natural environment, rather than a one-off visit. Planning, adaptation, observations and reviewing are integral elements of Forest School.

 Principle 2: Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural wooded environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.

 Principle 3: Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners

Principle 4: Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.

Principle 5. Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.

Principle 6. Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning.

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