Are you a teacher wondering about how to get forest school happening for your school?
We have worked with a number of schools over the last five years to provide both forest school sessions in parks local to school groups and also outdoor learning sessions on school grounds.
Typically, when a school decides they would like forest school sessions and have budget to accommodate us, they will get in touch to work out location, times and numbers and needs of participants. Usually, a group of up to 16 children and their teacher, plus a support for learning worker or two will meet Sophie in a park that’s accessible to the school. The same group will meet for a number of weeks, in the same location and the routine stays pretty much the same each time.
Having this regular, structured contact with a natural green space over time is a key defining part of what makes forest school effective. Participants’ comfort in the location increases week on week, and slowly individuals’ needs for play, relaxation, learning and nature connection begin to be met by the environment. This process isn’t a one hit wonder! But it does work…
How do school sessions work?
In terms of setting up regular sessions for your group at school, we can provide:
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Agreed site and permission with GCC to use that site
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Site risk assessments
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Activity risk assessments
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Basic session plans usually led by the seasons and the site's resources
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Qualified, PVG-checked Level 8 forest school leader for each session
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Specialist insurance for the session covering all the forest school basicis including climbing, swings, ropes, tools and usual kit.
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In forest school, we make space for free play and we are trained to follow participants' interests because this is how we build a community of learning, and support individuals' holistic development. In practice, this looks like participants have freedom to choose what they do on a session, in order to meet their needs. When we say needs, we include:
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Physical regulation: space for bodies to relax or space to be physically stimulated and challenged in a natural environment.
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Sensory stimulation: regular practice hearing, feeling and sensing the range of the natural sensory world.
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Emotional regulation: time to be introspective or time let off steam, and time to practise being regulated in an accepting environment with strong boundaries.
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Connection to nature: Nature needs us as much as we need it, now is the time to connect.
Please be in touch on email or call to discuss what your school is looking for in terms of forest school sessions glasgowforestschools"at"gmail.com.
How does a session run?
Usually there will be a couple school staff along with children or young people on a forest school session, and below we describe what a session looks like for them:
Activities are planned and tailored for the needs and interests of the group and influenced by the seasons, and it can take a few weeks for the staff, the forest school leader and the group as a whole to get to know each other, and to get used to how session run. Activities are offered to participants, they are not compulsory.
When we meet, we start with a quick check-in in a circle to find out how we all are and share any news, we take in anything new or interesting about our location and we let everyone know what’s on offer that session. We play a few name games and circle games to get warmed up on a session, and to get to know each other.
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We establish the boundaries of the site we are located and we look at the natural hazards and risks of playing and learning there for the session.
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Planned activities range from clearing bramble patches with gloves and loppers, to picking brambles and making jam on a fire; from identifying plants and trees on our site, to digging holes to plant plants and trees to help support biodiversity; from whittling sticks to identifying birds and animals that live on the site; from gathering natural meterials for crafting, to learning about how to light and look after fires.
We also run regular nature connection and nature contact activities (there is a difference) during sessions, and bring play triggers such as ropes for swings and den building kit.
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We usually close sessions with an invitation to reflect, any specifics for kit required is noted, as are changes to paperwork for the next session.
How to accommodate
bigger class numbers?
We tend to keep numbers at forest school low in order to support participants better, more safely, and to allow them more freedom to explore their needs. Here we say 16 is the maximum we can accommodate on one session.
You might be a teacher looking for a regular forest school session for a particular group or class of children - we tend to work with the same group for a minimum of 6 weeks so that participants can get a feel for natural seasonal change throughout the sessions.
Or you might be looking to get every child in the school out to forest school at some point. The best, longest-lasting results are when participants get to experience the same location over different seasons. We have successfully run forest school sessions for rotations of pupils over the course of the school year, and over the course of a couple years, allowing each rotation to experience natural environment over a range of seasonality.
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Other things about working forest school sessions for school groups:
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The school usually looks after their own transport to and from the session.
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Sessions are typically two hours long and for a minimum 6 weeks, weekly.
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We can arrange fortnightly sessions if the contract is confirmed for the whole of the school year.
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Timings are usually 10am-12pm weekdays.
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We are experienced in working with SEN and ASN groups
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We limit to 16 participants maximum on one session
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Costs start at £1500 for a 10 session (2 hours per session) programme. Costs are flexible and we sometimes can supplement with alternative funding. Be in touch with Sophie on glasgowforestschools"at"gmail.com to discuss options.
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Isn't forest school only for ASN or SEN?
Forest School leaders often take ASN or SEN groups or individuals because the power of being in a natural environment is therapeutic, and, in many cases, is also transformational. Often, budgets are invested in supporting ASN or SEN groups, and this is why forest school leaders support many of these groups.
The Forest School Outdoor Learning Award (FOLA, Scotland's forest school certificate) goes up to a Level 8 qualification and has a lot to it. As forest school leaders we know how to:
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support participants' holistic development and learning
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support nature connection
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support the meeting of participants' social, emotional, sensory needs in woodland environments including urban woods and parks
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teach safe use of simple hand tools
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support participants to make and create with natural materials in the woods
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create a community of learners around forest school sessions
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manage green spaces for increased biodiversity
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teach safe use of fire
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...the list goes on...
Plus, forest school leaders are often experts at supporting participants to receive the therapeutic benefits of being in nature: many of us have completed the Therapeutic Forest's Certificate in Therapeutic Skills for Outdoor Leaders.
What forest school isn't...
It’s not a one off. Going to a patch of trees in the park once doesn’t count as forest school - sorry! Forest School is a practice, meaning you need to do it regularly and often and ideally with the same group, supported by qualified leaders.
Why? Forest school done in this way creates bonds between the participants and nature, and creates a community within the group and around it, and forest school leaders are trained to develop participants' learning in a holistic way, as well as look after the environment we operate in. This type of community fosters a sense of wonder and safety that is difficult to replicate in your everyday city life. After being in forest school for a while, people have reported feeling:
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increased confidence
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increased empathy and connection
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a sense of empowerment with nature
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overall relaxation
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myriad benefits for the natural environment
This is why forest school has such a powerful positive impact on communities in the long term, but it only works as a long term regular practice.
Be in touch...
Sophie works as a tutor on delivering Scotland’s Forest and Outdoor Learning Awards (FOLA) with colleagues at Forest School Training Collaborative and has also created and delivered continuous professional development workshops for teachers across Glasgow. These sessions can be anything from two hours to a full day and topics covered include
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risk assessing your sites for teaching outside
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considering fire and how to run campfires with groups
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simple hand tool training for working with children
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ideas for using natural materials and garden spaces with your groups
If you’d like to work with Sophie and you represent a school, please be in touch glasgowforestschools@gmail.com
