Visiting/Visitor

Term 5 is about to dawn.

I was going to say that it's going to be busy for us - but every term is fairly hectic!

We have the brilliant FSLI arriving at the start of May to begin training this year's Summer Students to be Level 3 Forest School Leaders. This takes a reasonably large amount of promoting, and a bit of organising to host! It is great fun to see grown adults discover Forest School on a deeper level and renews our enthusiasm for it through watching the students learn, and through a reevaluation of how we provide sessions because we see it through their eyes. 

Some students will have quite a lot of experience in supporting Forest School and are now ready to take on a bigger role, while others may have come across it relatively recently with little opportunity to explore it beyond liking the ethos and observing a little. Some may even have stepped up and volunteered to train for their school with no idea of what they are letting themselves in for!

This is why hosting training on our sites is important to us. The opportunity to watch established sessions, to see different styles of Forest School Leader, and to put theory and practice into context is essential for anyone aiming to plan and provide sessions themselves.

When I worked within four walls often the best part of a course was chatting with other people about their practice, and having a look around their classrooms. We would borrow ideas, ask for advice, offer information, and cherry-pick what changes we wanted to introduce in our own environment. Sometimes all you took was reassurance that what you were already doing was either fine or occasionally, brilliant!

Having a basecamp and space within which to set sessions is no different. 

We like to magpie ideas, squirrel away plans, and lay a beady eye on the resources other people use!
Talking to people who see the value of Forest School without having to explain it or defend it!


It's great to discuss the differences providing sessions in different settings for different children.
In the same way that every school is unique, and every teacher has their own style of teaching, and each classroom differs from the next, despite all having the same aims and curriculum, every Forest School is equally varied.


We have varying environments, children of different ages, and sessions that last for differing durations, that we bring our own unique skills and interests to.

Because of this, we are part of a local Hub, where FSLs around Canterbury meet up now and then for a cuppa and a chat, and we work our way around each other's sites as venues. 

It's a great way to share practice and make contact with people who I have only ever found to be supportive and helpful.

I would recommend joining or forming one, wherever you are!




Location: United Kingdom

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