Discovering Neroche
Forest School
The Neroche Forest Schools Project
The Neroche Scheme has established a Forest Schools Project to enable more local young people to experience the Forest School’s widely acclaimed outdoor education programme.
The Forest Schools project aims to:
- Equip local teachers and others working with schools with the ability and confidence to use woodlands and the outdoors as a learning environment, so that the Forest School approach can become a mainstream part of their schools curricula.
- Provide the Forest School experience direct to children across the area.
- Establish a Forest School Cluster Group as a forum for outdoor learning in the Blackdown Hills.
The project is funded until the end of 2009. By that time we plan to have trained and supported more than 25 teachers to Forest School Practitioner level, with at least 8 schools developing their own Forest School, who will be able to continue to network and grow through the local Cluster Group. Others will be trained to Assistant Level to support the process.
The project is now being delivered by the Neroche Project Forest School Officer, Clare Neenan, a qualified and experienced Forest School Practitioner. She is supported by others in the Neroche Project, session work with other local experienced Forest School Leaders and training provided by the Forest School Training Company Ltd. The Cluster Group and Project are being supported by Jenny Archard, a Forest School practitioner and facilitator.
What is Forest School?
The Forest School ethos focuses on learning styles that maximise the emotional, social and developmental benefits of education. Practitioners use learning and teaching strategies which raise self-esteem, develop confidence, independence, and language and communication skills in a natural environment.
Unlike One-Day events, Environmental Education and Outdoor Activities, Forest School works with children/young people in the outdoors over a period of time, working with a higher than normal staffing ratio, introducing responsible risk-taking and setting participants up to achieve. Forest School is run by qualified Forest School Leaders (who have completed Level Three training), together with other staff who are well versed in the Forest School process.
How can the Forest Schools Project help?
Over the next two years, the Project will help local schools to set up their own Forest School within their school grounds by organising training, running sessions in schools and helping aspiring Forest School leaders to develop confidence and skills.
Forest School ‘taster’ sessions can be carried out by the Forest School Officer and other local experienced Forest School leaders over a number of weeks in schools who are signed up to the Project. These give the children, staff, parents and Governors an idea of what Forest School will be like.
Forest School Practitioners Level Three training will equip teachers and those who are experienced at working with children and young people with the skills, knowledge and experience to organise things for themselves. The Project is organising two Level Three training courses locally, which are very heavily subsidised.
Forest School Assistant Level One training provides the grounding for other staff and assistants to support their trained Forest School Practitioner. The Project is organising one Level One course locally, to take place after the first group have completed their level three training.
Mentoring and practical support from the Forest School Officer will help teachers gain confidence in running sessions. Not all schools will have woodland available to them. We hope to be able to help schools to access and make safe local woodlands for their young people by working with local contacts.
The Cluster Group will be made up of local Practitioners and others interested in supporting the continuing development of Forest Schools in the area. We will organise regular meetings and keep people informed of what’s happening locally and nationally. We plan that continuing professional development sessions will be organised by the Group.
Our Programme
Forest School ‘taster’ sessions
Over a series of consecutive weeks (usually from 4-6 weeks), we will work with school staff to run sessions that show the ethos of Forest School. These need to be timetabled with the Forest School Officer who will do her best to meet the needs of the school. Demand is likely to be high and it’s possible that not all schools involved the Project will be able to get the minimum 4 sessions – we’ll do our best.
Training
- 2007/08 Forest School Level Three Practitioner training for up to 16 participants (confirmed and fully booked; starts November 07)
- 2008/09 Forest School Level three Practitioner training for up to 16 participants (to be confirmed; planned to start December 08)
- 2008/09 Forest School Level 1 Assistant training for up to 16 participants (to be confirmed; planned to start October 08)
Level Three training takes around 9 months to complete, with a mix of taught sessions, assessment and portfolio work. Further details later in this pack.
Level One training is a three day course, including assessment and further portfolio work. Further details will follow.
Mentoring and Practical Support
The Forest School Officer will be available for 1:1 sessions with teachers as the Project progresses. Practical support will be offered during the ‘taster’ sessions and outside of these if time allows. If there is help needed in identifying woodland and making areas safe, we will help where we can or help the school to find ways of getting the work done.
Neroche Forest School Cluster Group and Continuing Professional Development
The Cluster Group has been in existence for a few years, but has not been very active in recent times. The aim now is re-establish a Group that will support the long term development of Forest Schools in the area, through regular gatherings - not too often - and other forms of networking. As schools and teachers become involved, we will start to schedule practical information and skills sessions. The first gathering will be in the autumn of 2007.
Contacts
For more information on the school participation, taster sessions and training support, please contact Clare Neenan, the Neroche Forest School Officer, through the office on 01823 680846, or mobile 07825 826406, or by email to clare.neenan@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.
For more information on the Forest School Cluster Group please contact Jenny Archard on 01404 549488, mobile 07980 691605, or email jenny@archard.fsbusiness.co.uk
