What Are The Forest School Principles?

Today I’m going to be looking at the question ‘What are the Forest School principles?’

The Forest School ethos has six principles, which were agreed by the UK Forest School community in 2011.

These are all available on the Forest School Association website and are credited to them.

Although not statutory, these principles are guidance toward good practice and are followed at Eco Ed Forest School to ensure the Forest School Full Fat approach that we achieve.

Let’s take a look at the 6 principles in turn.

Principle 1: Forest School is a long-term process of frequent and regular sessions in a woodland or natural environment, rather than a one-off visit. Planning, adaptation, observations and reviewing are integral elements of Forest School.

Forest School takes place regularly, ideally at least every other week, with, where possible, the same group of learners, over an extended period of time and taking in all the seasons.

A Forest School programme has a structure which is based on the observations and collaborative work between learners and practitioners.

The initial sessions of any programme establish physical and behavioural boundaries as well as making initial observations on which to base future programme development.

Principle 2: Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural wooded environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.

The woodland is ideally suited to match the needs of the programme and the learners, providing them with the space and environment in which to explore and discover.

A Forest School programme constantly monitors its ecological impact and works within a sustainable site management plan.

Forest School aims to foster a relationship with nature through regular personal experiences in order to develop long-term, environmentally sustainable attitudes and practices.

Forest School uses natural resources for inspiration, to enable ideas and to encourage intrinsic motivation.

Principle 3: Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.

Forest School programmes aim to develop, the physical, social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of the learner in which to develop the whole child.

Principle 4: Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.

Forest School opportunities are designed to build on an individual’s innate motivation, positive attitudes and/or interests.

Forest School uses tools and fires only where deemed appropriate to the learners, and dependent on completion of a baseline risk assessment.

Any Forest School experience follows a Risk–Benefit process managed jointly by the practitioner and learner that is tailored to the developmental stage of the learner.

Principle 5: Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.

Forest School is led by qualified Forest School practitioners, who are required to hold a minimum of an accredited Level 3 Forest School qualification.

Practitioners at Forest School are subject to relevant checks into their suitability to have prolonged contact with children, young people and vulnerable people.

Practitioners need to hold an up-to-date first aid qualification, which includes paediatric and outdoor elements.

Forest School is backed by relevant working documents, which contain all the policies and procedures required for running Forest School and which establish the roles and responsibilities of staff.

The Forest School leader is a reflective practitioner and sees themselves, therefore, as a learner too.

Principle 6: Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning.

A learner-centered approach is employed by Forest School that is responsive to the needs and interests of learners.

The Leader models or demonstrates the approach, which they promote during their programmes through careful in the moment planning, appropriate dialogue and relationship building.

Play and choice are an integral part of the Forest School learning process, and play is recognised as vital to learning and development at Forest School.

Forest School provides a stimulus for all learning preferences and dispositions.

Reflective practice is a feature of each session to ensure learners and practitioners can understand their achievements, develop emotional intelligence and plan for the future.

Leader observation is an important element of Forest School pedagogy.

Observations feed into ‘scaffolding’ as set out by the child development theorist Lev Vygotsky and tailoring experiences to learning and development at Forest School.

A whistle stop tour of the 6 Forest School principles for you there.

Ultimately these are a culmination of everything I have been and will be speaking about as this is what embodies forest school, but are interesting to know and will inform what you see at any Forest School session of ours.

You’re just one session away…