Forest School Principle 6

The Forest School principles have been carefully designed to ensure that Forest School offers something completely different from other educational experiences; an experience that makes room for the whole of each participant to develop. Therefore, the Forest School leader training needs to reflect this. While there is now a huge variety of trainings on offer, those that have been endorsed by the Forest School Association (FSA) are rigorously quality assured and ensure that the trainers are continuing their own training and keeping up to date with new research and skills. This guarantees a very high quality of training for future Forest School leaders. This is vital if the Forest School leader is to create the nurturing environment that will allow each participant to feel seen, known, and able to explore their curiosity and express themselves freely. There are various elements of a Forest School training course, including practical skills, building community, discussing theory and practising leading sessions. 

This principle also emphasises the importance of life-long learning. Just as it’s important for the Forest School leader to model learning alongside their participants during sessions, it’s also crucial for the leader to be engaged in additional learning outside of sessions. Whether this is through skill-sharing with colleagues, reading or attending courses, it will deepen and extend what the leader is able to offer to participants during their sessions. This helps to create an environment of excitement and passion, which will spark participants’ own curiosity and interest.

References:

Forest School Association, b. (n.d.), What is Forest School? https://forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest-school/ [accessed 09.12.2021]