What Is The Biggest Forest School Obstacle?

Today, I’m going to be looking at the popular Google question what is the biggest Forest School obstacle?

Now to answer this question I would say there are possibly two obstacles, namely access to woodland sites and public opinion

Lets address each of these in turn.

Access to woodland is my first as without out it, the huge learning opportunities available in a woodland are lost and it is really little more than outdoor learning then.

In itself, outdoor learning does hold merit but it isn’t Forest School in its purest form, which like anything, is the best way to deliver it.

Due to urbanisation, which means houses being built everywhere and including on green belt land, there becomes a real problem with being able to access woodland that is natural and somewhat untouched by a lot of people.

When an area of woodland is found, the owner of the woodland then needs to be contacted and a mutual agreement reached as to the usage and all that good stuff.

If it wasn’t bad enough finding a woodland in the first place, it is then a chore to find one that is near a road or has access, on top of that it has to be accessible to a whole host of learners from our youngest tots to those with additional needs.

Forest School is, after all, completely inclusive and this all needs to be taken into account.

Then, and only then if everything lines up, the woodland ideally should be managed or if not a tree survey needs to be conducted to ensure it is safe for people to be walking around.

The last thing anyone wants is a bop on the head from a falling sycamore. As you can see it all gets a little obstacle-ly where woodlands are concerned.

Now public opinion is an interesting one as this involves both parents and schools.

But this is certainly not me having a go. Let me explain.

Schools are currently hard up for cash and often can’t warrant such a large expenditure of a Forest school leader.

I get that, but I would argue if they were completely aware of what Forest School could bring to their children, then they would find the cash from somewhere.

Indeed, even sending their own staff on Forest School training.

I think the problem lays with the way that Forest School is explained and detailed to schools, particularly those who search for the wiggle room.

Things such as the uses, benefits and potential of Forest School are to often wrapped up in something I like to call technobabble.

Now technobabble is talk or words that are key to a niche, such as forest school, but little understood by the wider public.

This then creates a problem as it can really put off busy schools who simply wish to understand how it can help them and not a dissertation of content.

All to often this is what they get and perhaps can’t see how it would fit into their day to day running, which is understandable.

Similarly, the issue is the same for parents.

Far to much technobabble can be thrust in parents faces and they can become overwhelmed and unsure how this all fits in to a child’s learning journey and the numerous benefits.

Quite simply a confused mind always says no.

Many parents have no background in teaching and or learning and I can imagine how you must feel when a Forest School bombards you.

I think it’s possibly like if I spoke to a quantum physicist.

Is it any wonder why many parents pass up on the opportunity or indeed have never heard of it?

Why would someone speak about, let alone promote something they are confused about, right?

Now, I include myself in this.

There have been times starting up where I have been guilty of using far too much technobabble to the detriment of myself, parents and schools.

But just like we guide children to learn from their mistakes, so have I.

That’s why I came up with the idea of the daily podcast, blog and videos.

I wanted to make Forest School super simple to understand and decode the lingo and what its truly all about for parents so that they can, maybe for the first time see how this amazing learning tool will change a child’s life forever.

Equipping a child with all the life skills they will need for their futures is what we’re really talking about and that is so rarely told to parents.

Remember you’re one session away…