Posted on December 01, 2025
Sarah Allington, Nature of Learning Forest School “I'm delighted to join the network of FSA Endorsed Trainers. The endorsement process has been invaluable - it's made me reflect deeply on my practice and develop my training approach. This status clearly signals that my provision is thorough, supportive and aligned with the 6 core principles of Forest School.
"I love my job because I'm supporting students to become excellent practitioners who can reach the children who need Forest School most - those with complex needs, those excluded from mainstream education, those falling through the gaps. After 9 years of witnessing Forest School transform children's lives, I'm thrilled to multiply that impact. When we prioritize emotional safety and truly trust the child-led process, transformation happens - and now I get to help the next generation of practitioners discover that magic."
Forest School is a specialised learning approach based in a woodland or natural environment with trees. It offers all participants regular opportunities to develop self-confidence and esteem through hands-on learning experiences. Its roots reach back to early years pioneers in outdoor learning in Scandinavia, where Forest School has been established since the 1980’s.
The Forest School Association (FSA) - the UK's professional body and voice for all things Forest School - maintains a rigorous quality assurance scheme for Forest School Trainers based on community-agreed professional standards."The FSA Trainer’s Quality Assurance Scheme is based on a new set of ‘Forest School community’ agreed professional standards. Successful applicants such as Sarah Allington are added to a publicly accessible map on the FSA’s website http://www.forestschoolassociation.org/find-a-forest-school-trainer/
This is an important development for individuals, schools and settings that are trying to identify a trainer to help them or their staff become Forest School qualified. Decision makers such as Local Authorities and Academies can have confidence that an FSA endorsed trainer is operating professionally and works to ‘Forest School community’ agreed professional standards.
The FSA Trainers Quality Assurance Scheme offers the reassurance that trainers
- are working in accordance with good Forest School practice.
- give adequate face-to-face time to develop a student’s practical skills.
- Lead courses with the Forest School ethos in mind.
- provide students with a thorough support package.
- have the relevant qualifications, first aid training and insurance in place.
- model excellent practice themselves.
Gareth Wyn Davies (CEO of the Forest School Association) says,
“FSA endorsement of Forest School Trainers helps the public and decision makers to quickly identify those Trainers who are following good Forest School practice. It allows good training providers to distinguish themselves from other providers who may be offering many less hours of face-to-face tuition, less rigorous assessment and less ongoing support.
We therefore congratulate Sarah on her success in becoming an FSA Endorsed Forest School Trainer.”