Why train with The Outdoors Group?

• 5 days practical training and assessment
• Online access to course work and resources.
• Access to continued tutor support via telephone and email.
• One year to complete the course.
• Opportunities to complete your 6 sessions at one of our Forest Schools or our Forest School Kindergarten which is covered by our insurance.
• Experienced and Friendly staff.
• Friendly advice about starting your own Forest School.
• Plenty of tea and coffee!

5 days practical training and assessment

Over the course of 5 days running consecutively or one day a week for 5 weeks, (see below for course dates) you will be taught the following:

• How to look after and maintain your tools for Forest School.
• How to demonstrate and risk assess your tools effectively.
• How to use the tools to make something useful.
• How to tie knots and lashing that will help you build an awesome forest school area.
• How to put up a tarpaulin shelter.
• Fire lighting and campfire cooking, including how do this safely and hygienically; as well as how to risk assess the activities.
• Looking at forest management and how to reduce the impact of forest school on the natural environment
• How to risk assess your area for activities.
• Shelter building activities and risk assessments to do with this.

Forest School First Aid and Paediatric First aid

We have worked with two different first aid companies to provide our trainees with a good choice of locations and dates; FirstAid4Life and Really Good First Aid. Both companies offer the Forest School and Paediatric First Aid as a dual award. You can choose to pay for this straight away upon application (details of how to do this will be in the handbook we send out once we have processed your registration) or can opt to pay for it at a later date directly to them.

We have done this as we believe it represents the best industry standards and will help you save time in the future when you have to renew your first aid certification.

Online access to course work and resources

Once you have completed the  practical training you will be able to complete your portfolio of work from anywhere in the world! You will be given a unique log in and be able to access the course work and the other online resources available.

Access to continued tutor support via telephone and email

If at any point you need some help or support with your assignments or have a question about your Forest School you will be able to contact us via email and telephone during normal working hours.

One year to complete the course.

You will be given one year to complete the course, which starts on the start date of your practical training sessions. It is a Level 3 qualification and we expect one year to be a reasonable time frame for you to complete your work.

Opportunities to complete your 6 sessions at one of our Forest Schools or our Forest School Kindergarten which is covered by our insurance

As part of the course you will have to run 6 sessions following 3 students as part of your portfolio.  We can provide opportunities for trainees to do this at one of our forest school settings as volunteers. This means that you will be covered by our insurance.

If you would like to complete the 6 sessions elsewhere then please make sure that you check with your insurance provider to ensure you are covered. If not I would recommend Birnbeck Insurance as they offer specialist insurance for people that are undertaking leader training.

Experienced and Friendly staff

Our staff come with a wealth of experience and knowledge of working in Forest Schools and other settings. We have and still do work with a wide range of people from Early Years, NEETS, medical consultants and all in between.

Plenty of tea and coffee!

It wouldn’t be Forest School Leader training without a good brew!

2018 dates

February – Monday 12th – Friday 16th February 2018 FULLY BOOKED

March – Monday 26th February and Monday 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th March 2018

May & June – Tuesday 29th May – Saturday 2nd June 2018

July & August – Monday 30th July – Friday 3rd August 2018 (BRISTOL)

August –  Monday 13th – Friday 17th August 2018

October – Monday 22nd – Friday 26th October 2018

Cost

£900 (can be paid in full or over 9 months at £100 every month via Direct Debit – you will be prompted to set this up after submitting an application form)

OR

£1100 – including First Aid Training with FirstAid4Life or Really Good First Aid (can be paid in full or over 11 months at £100 every month via Direct Debit – you will be prompted to set this up after submitting an application form)

Where is it held?

We are excited to have two venues in the South West from which we can deliver our training. They are:

Exmouth Forest School, on the outskirts of Exmouth in a 60 year old woodland.

The Garden, a democratic community and hidden gem of mainly woodland in the heart of St Werburghs, Bristol.

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding the course, please email training@swoutdoorsgroup.co.uk or call us on 07773 545136.