Alex Smith, forest school leader trainee
2021 Forest School training wraps-up
Throughout the year Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has delivered Forest School Level 3 training to over 40 educators.
I work with autistic children aged seven to 17 and being outdoors works so well for these young people. It really promotes independence, they learn lots of new skills and it actually gives them some freedom to explore and be themselves.Au-Sums
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With so many more schools now recognising the benefits of outdoor learning, more and more teachers, teaching assistants and outdoor instructors are training to become recognised Forest School leaders. When facilitating a Forest School programme, the Forest School leader will ensure the programme is learner led and adapted to their children's own interests, as well as working with the natural environment and weather. Forest School is focused on the holistic development of the child taking into account physical, social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of the learner. The Trust is accredited to deliver Forest School Level 3 courses through Open College Network West Midlands. Each year the Trust runs four level 3 courses for educators. Once qualified this enables them to deliver Forest School programmes as professionally recognised Forest School leaders within their own school or educational settings. The level 3 course combines both theoretical and practical aspects including; the principles of Forest School, best practice, practical tool use, programme planning, risk management, learning theory, child development, woodland management and much more. In addition, a two day outdoor first aid course is included. During the latest three-day practical assessment at The Wolseley Centre, the level 3 cohort took part in various practical hands on activities under the watchful eye of Duncan Coleman, specialist training officer for SWT. The learners were trained and assessed on their ability |
Forest School Leader training (https://youtu.be/M3Lo6IMqJWc)
During the latest three-day practical assessment at The Wolseley Centre, the level 3 cohort took part in various practical hands on activities under the watchful eye of Duncan Coleman, specialist training officer for SWT. Alex Smith, a trainee Forest School Leader from Au-Sums.
Duncan said: “Forest School is an inspirational learning experience that can offer children, young people and adults the chance to develop confidence through hands-on learning in a woodland environment, or other outdoor setting.
“We use natural resources for inspiration, to enable ideas and to encourage motivation. After the limitations of last year, thankfully this year we’ve been able to get back to training dozens of educators, so that more children across Staffordshire and beyond can benefit from Forest School.”
Trainee Forest School leader Alex Smith, from Au-Sums, run by Midlands Psychology, added: “I work with autistic children aged seven to 17 and being outdoors works so well for these young people. It really promotes independence, they learn lots of new skills and it actually gives them some freedom to explore and be themselves.
“I just absolutely love Forest School, it is amazing!”
Anyone interested in training to become a Forest School leader in
2022 can contact Gemma Shelley on 01889 880106 or by email
getwild@staffs-wildlife.org.uk
The cost of the course is £999 per participant. The course takes
place over ten taught days and involves the delivery of an
Introduction to Forest School programme within an educational
setting and the production of a course portfolio over a 10-month
period. The course also includes a two-day Forest School first aid
course.
The Forest School ethos has six principles, which were agreed by the UK Forest School community in 2011. The six guiding principles of Forest School are:
- Forest School is a long-term process of frequent and regular (at least every other week) sessions in a woodland or natural environment, rather than a one-off visit.
- 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, following the seasons and with progressive learning over the course of the year.
- Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
- Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
- Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
- Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning.