Forest School Leader Award
A Level 3 (A-Level standard) qualification, verified by Liminalis Ltd. and accredited by ITC First.
About the qualification
The Forest School Leader Award provides the practitioner with the skills and knowledge to risk assess, set up and manage a Forest School site. It equips them to plan and safely facilitate challenging, learner-led Forest School programmes with a range of client groups in line with the Forest School ethos and principles.
The training covers five units of study worth 18 credits at Level 3, requiring the completion of a portfolio of evidence and a group- and site-specific handbook.
This Level 3 Forest School Leader training will give participants the skills, knowledge and confidence to set up and run Forest School sessions in their school, setting or independently.
Entry criteria
To do the course you must:
- Be aged 21 years or over (by the end of the course).
- Be a qualified teacher, play-worker, youth-worker or support worker (to Level 3 equivalent), OR hold an appropriate Level 2 with at least 2 years’ experience of working with your chosen client group in a leadership capacity.
- Hold a current DBS certificate.
- Have access to a group with whom you will run a 6-week ‘Introduction to Forest School’ programme.
About the trainers
Sarah Allington
Sarah is an experienced Level 3 Forest School practitioner working with children and young people from toddlers to teenagers, including those with a range of additional needs. Sarah holds the FSA’s recognised provider status for her Forest School sessions — a benchmark for quality Forest School provision. She is a founding member of a small charity which promotes access to quality Forest School for children and families.
Charlotte Atkinson
Charlotte from Charlotte’s Forest School is an experienced headteacher and a practising Forest School Leader with extensive experience of leading Forest School sessions with children aged 2–11 years. Charlotte has a background in ecology and has been training Forest School Leaders for over 10 years. Her training is endorsed by the Forest School Association, and she mentors and assesses other trainers. Alongside her Forest School expertise, Charlotte is a qualified Forest Bathing guide, offers nature-based coaching and is a Nordic Walking instructor — testament to her love of the outdoors!
Together Sarah and Charlotte run courses in Ashdon, Essex and Wilby, Suffolk. To express your interest in the next course, please contact sarah@natureoflearning.co.uk.