Bridge the Gap
The looming date for school opening up to all pupils is being discussed more and more (the date varies across the UK). For many Forest Schools this signals their opportunity to start running sessions again. There are so many ways Forest Schools deliver time outside that there has been a huge range of effects the pandemic has had on this provision. Some colleagues are awaiting the schools they work in to re-start sessions. If a school uses land off site it hasn't always been possible to deliver sessions, needing journey plans or volunteers to travel to site. Independent Forest Schools have often fallen under the heading of a 'leisure' provider and have struggled to be recognised as a form of education. Some of these small businesses have been closed for almost a year. Forest School Leaders who have contracts with schools have been on furlough, or just on hold, and unable to provide sessions at all during Lockdown. Some of us have sites on school grounds and have never closed...