Course Content
The Forest School Leaders Award consists of 18 ITC credits contained in five units of study:
1. Forest School Programmes: Practical Skills – This unit covers aspects of how to use the outdoor environment for learning and how to teach a range of practical woodland skills to others.
2. Forest School Programmes: The Woodland Environment - Understanding the structure, diversity and management of a wooded area.
3. Forest School Programme: Learning and Development - Looking at theories of learning and how to support holistic development. Discussing the importance of play and how to raise self-esteem in learners.
4. Forest School Programmes: Planning and Preparation - Covering elements of the preparation needed to establish your own Forest School, including policies and procedures, risk and communication.
5. Forest School Programme: Delivery – Aimed at delivering and evaluating Forest School sessions.
Venue: a beautiful, privately owned woodland in the village of Ashdon near Saffron Walden in North Essex. Meeting point is All Saints Church Church Hill, in Ashdon.
What 3 Words: https://w3w.
Estimated Course Commitment
The Total Qualification Time (TQT) for the Level 3 Forest School Leader Qualification is
180 hours. This is made up of the taught element (mainly through face-to-face contact
with your tutors) and self-directed study (mainly written assignments for the coursework
portfolio).
Part of the course involves identifying a suitable site, establishing and running a 6-week
‘Introduction to Forest School’ programme. This includes creating a Forest School
handbook of policies and procedures for your site and group of learners. Trainees also
have to complete a Coursework Portfolio evidencing the learning outcomes from all 5
units of study. This includes research, practical and written assignments, photographs
and other evidence of learning.
One of the benchmarks to become an FSA Endorsed Trainer is that at least 96 hours of
the 180 hours of the course should be taught face-to-face (ideally outdoors) leaving
approximately 84 hours of self-directed study. This high proportion of face-to-face
training to self-directed study is to ensure that trainees get a high-quality training
experience, benefitting from the feedback, advice, guidance and support that course
tutors are able to provide when working face-to-face with individuals and groups of
learners.
We have refined and developed our course further as we recognise that in order to
achieve success, trainees often need even more input and support from their tutors. As
a result, the taught element of our current course is approximately 134 hours, leaving just 46 hours of self-directed learning.
We split the course into manageable blocks (see
Course Programme below) and provide support with trainees on a regular basis
throughout the 12 months of the course through Portfolio Tutorials and Workshops after
the practical training days.
