BECOME A FOREST SCHOOL LEADER
Training to be a forest school leader will enable you to set up your own forest school provision with the knowledge, skills and guidance to be able to run successful sessions. Through delivering your own sessions you will be able to support your learners to benefit from regular access and engagement with nature. At Inspirations we are enthusiastic about the benefits learning outdoors and access to forest school can have on a child. We bring this knowledge and enthusiasm to our training.
Becoming a forest school leader is a learning process that can transform the way you view education and the role of nature in learning. The training is in depth, but we work using a collaborative teaching style so you will be supported by the trainer and your fellow learners throughout the process.
What does the level 3 process involve?
- 8 days of face-to-face training in the woodland covering theory and practical skills. This is run over 2 weeks, 4 days per week.
- You will plan and deliver 6 forest school sessions at your own setting, one of which will be observed by your trainer.
- Tutorial day with your trainer to consolidate your learning.
- Portfolio of work to complete.
The qualification takes 9-12 months to complete, however you will be running forest school sessions as part of this process. For this reason, you will need access to a site and a group of learners to complete your training. If this is an issue, please get in touch with us to discuss your options.
At Inspirations we work as an associate trainer with Cambium Sustainable, one of a network forest school trainers operating in their local areas across the UK. You will have access to a catalogue of resources to support you through your training. The level 3 qualification is accredited by the Agored exam board and is recognised by the Forest School Association (FSA).
The course is designed to follow the 6 principles of forest school as outlined by the FSA and will equip you to facilitate forest school and support people through regular sessions of learning and discovery in nature.
The course follows 5 units of work
- Supporting Learning, Play, and Development in the Natural Environment – The theory behind play, learning, and how forest school relates to these theories.
- Delivering Forest School – Everything you need to run successful forest school sessions and your reflections on doing so.
- Observing and Evaluating Forest School – How to observe learners and evaluate your sessions.
- Sustainable Use and Management of Natural Resources – Putting the natural environment into context. This module will give you the background ecological knowledge required to understand your site and how to work within it.
- Teaching Outdoor Practical Skills – Gives you the practical skills needed for forest school, such as fire lighting, tool use, cooking, shelter building, and knowledge of how to teach these to a group.
Entry requirements
- Relevant Level 2 Qualification or experience in education, youth work, childcare, outdoor education etc. (You can go straight onto a level 3 without doing level 2 provided you have relevant experience)
- Access to a group and a potential Forest School site (please contact us if this may be an issue)
- Aged 18 years or over
To run a forest school session, you will need relevant insurance, an outdoor/ forest school first aid certificate, and a DBS check if working with young people or vulnerable adults. It is recommended that you also have an outdoor food hygiene certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to source what qualifications they need. First aid is not covered in this course, however if you get in touch we can point you in the right direction of a training provider.
If you have any questions about our Forest School training, please get in touch by email at daisy@inspirationsnurseries.co.uk
Have a look on our booking site for our next available course: