Forest Schools: is yours more of a marketing gimmick than an outdoors education?

Some Uk schools have merely jumped on the band wagon of the popular Scandinavian idea, a new book argues.

Ash trees rustle in the breeze while beneath them muddy children run free, collecting leaves and searching for bugs in the shadows. This must be a forest school. Or is it?

Extract from The Guardian article for more go to: www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jun/25/forest-school

Forest school seems to be a bit of a buzz word at the moment and a lot of schools and Nurseries are starting to want a piece of the action, which is great that they are becoming more open to new ways of learning, but sometimes some of the authenticity of forest school ethos can be lost in translation.

As a forest school leader can see how the original intention can be washed down especially in some more urban settings where sometimes you may only have access to a few trees on a football pitch, Can that be forest school? Is it better than not bothering? Any outdoor based educating is of coarse better than none. We have to sometimes work with what we have got. There are always ways to work with your participants promoting collaboration, self resilience and team mentality so you can't go too far wrong with whatever quirks your particular outdoor setting has. But there is a vast differences from a Forest school based in a woodland area and one that is not, you cannot really compare the two. The Awe and inspiration of being emerged in Nature has quite different impact to other outdoor spaces. Having the regular access to these natural spaces also brings a true relationship between people and places.