Thinking About…Forest School Leader Training

We don’t always shout out much about our Forest School Leader Training courses, mostly because (and we’re very grateful for this!) they’re nearly always full. Word of mouth from our fabulous trainees seems to cement our reputation as one of the best training providers for this course in the Southwest and keep us busy training new generations of Forest School Leaders in our woods at Exmouth every year.

But as the year is drawing to a close, with another 60 odd people from all over Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset trained this year, we thought we’d take some time to reflect on this amazing course and our fabulous trainers before we start it all over again next year! Since we began delivering this course over 8 years ago, we’ve gone from strength to strength, as hundreds of people have joined us in the woods to start their Forest School journey.

The course creates a mini community in the woods for five glorious days, jam packed with fire lighting, shelter building, tool use and maintenance, flora and fauna ID and much more. It’s hard to choose a favourite moment but over the years, the top three nearly always include the amazing campfire cooked lunch one day, the first time someone lights a fire for the first time, and carving their very own wooden spoon!

But beyond the practical skills and information gained during this week, is the confidence it bestows on our trainees. Confidence that they can take what they’ve learnt, along with their passion that brought them to us and channel it in their own unique way to run their own sessions for children and young people. Confidence that they can be a Forest School Leader, regardless of where they started or what they’ve done before this point. Confidence that they can provide amazing experiences for children and young people in the woods and memories to last a lifetime.

We’ve trained teachers, nursery workers, conservation staff, teaching assistants, charity workers, parents, students, and so many more. There is no defined mould when it comes to what a Forest School Leader should look like or who they should be. So if you’ve been watching what we get up to in the woods and thinking ‘hey! I’d like to do that’ then what are you waiting for? Head here to find out more, see our 2023 dates and book your space to embark upon your very own Forest School journey!

Author: Hannah Durdin, Forest School Leader & Content Officer

Date: Tuesday 29th November 2022