Do You Assess And Plan At Forest School?

Today, I answer a super interesting question from one of our Forest School parents; Do you observe/assess progress and inform parents, or is it turn up and enjoy?

This got me thinking and inspired the next few minutes of speech. Now I cannot speak for other Forest Schools and their exact take on this however, this is how Eco Ed Forest School role.

Standby For The Workings Of A Forest School Leader

To answer the question quite simply yes I do observe and assess the children, but in no way like a school. The best place to start so this all make sense is the beginning.

Welcome to the workings of a Forest School Leader, please do keep up.

When I meet a child or children for the first time I will have an idea of their age, any medical conditions and anything else the parents wish to tell me.

Baseline Assessment

I will then spend time observing intently that child for a given period when they attend a session to identify their starting points.

Remember key to Forest School is meeting a child where they are at. If I work with them for full days it is typically 1 week period of observation.

If I work with them for half days it is typically 6 weeks. This period of time lends itself to what is known as a baseline assessment and allows me to really tune in to the child, observe their level of development first hand and see the person that is being presented.

This is certainly not a formal assessment as it might suggest it’s just the Forest School movements name for this period of time and activity.

Why Do You Baseline Assess Children?

This time gives me everything I need to plot that child’s course ahead and so provide them with best opportunities for developing their life skills. Is this the first and only time I do a baseline assessment? Not at all. This is repeated at the beginning of a new cycle, for example a new term of sessions or holiday club period.

Without this initial assessment there is no information on present levels of development in the outdoors in the recognised areas of Social, Physical, Intellectual, Communication & Language, Emotional and Spiritual.

These are commonly called the areas of Holistic Development as I’ve spoken about before.

The Art Of Reflection

This will include what a baseline state is in terms of emotional and ‘normal’ ways of behaving for that child, regarding both neutral and positively challenging but also overly challenging situations.

This will inevitably maximise the potential for each child to grow and mature appropriately giving them the best opportunity to enter into the state of the ‘Capable Learner’ to ensure ‘Personal Sustainability’.

Now after every baseline session I take time of an evening to reflect on the session and each individual learner. The good, the bad and the bits for improvement. This then allows a picture to begin to form. More on reflection in a moment.

Baseline Completion

Once the baselines are completed for a child and the observations compiled it is at that point that the leader will have a good understanding of a child’s areas for development and what to help scaffold during play or to bring with them to enhance play so providing the opportunity for them to discover, experiment and investigate.

Simply I attempt to provide them with the widest and most powerful possibility to achieve, mature, develop confidence, self worth, resilience, environmental identity, a reasonable and responsible actual self amongst a load of other life skills.

In The Moment Planning

Following each subsequent session, reflection is again undertaken by the Leader to assess progress and potential resources for next time.

This is the extent to which I plan. I am a huge believer of ‘In the moment planning. In the moment planning allows a leader to spend more time with the children and less time on paperwork.

Young children live in the moment and we never know what they may choose to do or be next. Because of this, pre-planning activities in a structured way is not the best way to support children’s development and goes against the child led nature that Full fat Forest School is about .

It’s all about using expertise to create opportunities within a child’s self chosen play to work on their areas of development. They’re ultimately learning without knowing.

This is why Forest School is a process over a long, repeated time frame. Change takes time and quick fixes aren’t a thing.

By The Way Do You Report Back To Parents?

Now you may be thinking well if you observe and assess, do you report to parents. The answer to this is not, not formally.

Following every session there is always a conversation between myself and parents and this informs them of what they have done during the day and how this may help their development.

Such a conversation does much to develop the trusting relationship that I enjoy forging with all our Eco Ed parents.

I hope this gives you a little insight into my world and as always;

You’re Just One Session Away!